Hallo (2007)

Advocate Sivaraman is a brilliant lawyer who has let drink take over his life. One night a frightened young woman's call for help reaches him by chance, and he is drawn into her world: she is being hunted by ruthless men with powerful backers, and the people around her cannot be trusted. Sobering up just enough, he turns protector, using his wit, his legal cunning and his fists. Hallo is a 2007 Malayalam comedy-thriller from the writer-director duo Rafi Mecartin, best known for slapstick comedies, and it gave Mohanlal a crowd-pleasing role that mixed boozy humour with action. Parvathy Melton made her debut as the young woman, and the film was one of the big Malayalam hits of its year.