If a Malayalam movie lover is asked to name one of the memorable roles played by comedian Harisree Ashokan, his character Ramanan in comedy entertainer Punjabi House is sure to be on the list's top spot. Though the Rafi-Mecartin directorial was released in 1998, Ramanan is a regular face for netizens with him being featured in many memes that trend on social media.
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In a recent interview with Onmanorama, Harisree Ashokan, who is overwhelmed with the love of his fans for the character in the Dileep-starrer, confirmed that Ramanan will make his comeback soon to the big screens. "If Ramanan is still in your mind, he will come back soon, but only Ramanan. Please do not ask me which film it is [translated from Malayalam]," the comedian is heard saying in the video.
Ashokan, who gave life to his memorable character, has also thanked director duo Rafi-Mecartin for giving shape to Ramanan. "All I did was to give a life for that character," he said. "I have been to different countries, and even now people talk to me saying the dialogues of Ramanan, and seeing that itself makes me very happy. He is still in the minds of the audience as Punjabi House is such a good movie that helped me to perform well," he added.
Meanwhile, Ashokan also expressed his happiness in seeing Ramanan getting featured in many social media trolls, be it to show the young rebel who called his boss a bourgeois or for praising his hairstyle. "What makes me more happy is to see various trolls that surface online even after 18 years of the movie's release. I am very happy to have played that role," he said.
The comedy entertainer Punjabi House, which also stars Cochin Haneefa, Mohini, Janardhanan, Indrans, Neena Kurup, Thilakan and Jomol, narrates the incidents that happen in the life of Unni (Dileep), who has many debts. He attempts to commit suicide but is saved by Gangadharan (Cochin Haneefa) and his employee Ramanan. In order to hide his past, Unni pretends to be deaf and mute, and lands in Punjabi House, where he falls in love with Pooja (Mohini), who is mute.
