Varunni, a hunter, is summoned to help some villagers capture a man-eating leopard. When he accidentally kills a man, he decides to support the deceased's grieving family.
Mrugaya is a 1989 Indian thriller drama film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by I. V. Sasi. The film stars Mammootty and Sunitha in the lead role, with Thilakan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Lalu Alex, and Urvashi in supporting roles. It tells the story of Varunni (Mammootty), the uncultured and drunkard hunter, who arrives in the village to kill a man-eating leopard. The film won two Kerala State Film Awards. The leopard, used in a number of scenes in the film, was lent by animal trainer Govindarajan Naidu. Sasi had said that the climax fight scene with the leopard was done by Mammootty himself without dupes.