How Mammootty—the ‘Megastar’—Redefined Stardom
After a decade of mishaps, the legendary Malayalam and Tamil film star Mammootty chose a path of experimental cinema for himself and his production company, resulting in a slew of unconventional, socially-conscious blockbusters
It’s a light summer afternoon. Everyone in the bus is getting comfortable, adjusting their position for the afternoon slumber. They have had a hearty lunch, and many of the men are already couple of pegs down. The bus, like the passengers, is buzzed, enjoying the cool afternoon breeze as it passes through the villages of Tamil Nadu.
James, an otherwise irritable passenger, has finally decided to give up and relax himself. Slowly, yet steadily, his droopy eyes give in and he’s fast asleep.
Swoosh!! Suddenly, he’s awake again. He requests the driver for a stop, right in the middle of a fully grown maize field. James promptly gets down and steadily walks towards the village. As he inches closer to his destination, we see less of James, and more of a newer character. Now, he’s Sundaram: a personality who is more social, likable, loving and speaks Tamil.
This is the anchor point of Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022), the Tamil-Malayalam film directed by Lijo Jose Pellissery. This poetic fantasy drama unfolds like a slow mystery and engulfs the viewers with every act holding some surprise elements, characters, and an acting masterclasses.
Coincidently, this synopsis of NNM also mirrors the career path of the film’s lead actor, the Malayalam film star Mammootty. I wouldn’t dare call it a rise like ‘the phoenix from ashes’, as Mammootty has always been a superstar even during his lean periods. And even despite a plethora of disastrous choices in the past decade, his movies created the necessary hype and pulled the crowd expected of a superstar.
Come 2022: James was lost, and Sundaram awoke from his afternoon slumber. He was steadfast on not just ruling the box office, but also reinventing his stardom. He decided to tread the unconventional path, often taking huge risks, hellbent on proving his mettle, even as he is into his fifth decade in the industry. He was delivering a lesson on stardom with each of his choices—and in the journey, ‘Mammukka’ taught fans and co-actors like the value of a film star.
He decided to tread the unconventional path, often taking huge risks, hellbent on proving his mettle… He was delivering a lesson on stardom with each of his choices—and in the journey, ‘Mammukka’ taught fans and co-actors like the value of a film star.
Mammootty started his acting career in the year 1971 as a background artist in the KS Sethumadhavan directorial Anubhavangal Paalichakal. By 1981, Mammooty finally established himself as a lead actor as Krishna Das in Thrishna by the classic combo of MT Vasudevan Nair and IV Sasi.
There was no stopping him after that. He has since starred in more than 400 movies, in a career spanning five decades, with a record 35 films as a hero in the year 1986—a feat that seems impossible in today’s times. In an interview, a new generation actor, Dhyan Srinivasan remembered, “Once I met Mammootty uncle and he asked me on the number of movies I have acted in this year. I told him that I have acted in 8 movies. He told me sarcastically that he has acted in 35 movies in the year 1985-86 and that he wishes to see me break that record.” The audience and his co-stars erupted in laughter.
Even with 35 films a year, it seems that the audience always asked more of him. Though most of his roles were of stereotypical heroes, Mammootty’s career was also peppered with some of the rawest and most gruesome villains ever imagined. I recently revisited the Adoor Gopalakrishnan classic Vidheyan (1994) in which Mammootty plays the ruthless cold-blooded landlord Bhaskara Patelar vying ways to get anything and everything he desires. I felt the same disgust for the character I had when I first watched it years ago. And it is for the same Mammootty that I had teared up when I saw his character’s dejected face of having to leave the fostered child in a rehabilitation camp in the classic Kaazhcha (2004).
There were, of course, sweet and sour moments peppered across this ambitious career. One of the worst phases of Mammootty’s career was in the years 1986-87. Even his collaboration with some of the greatest writers and directors like Dennis Joseph, Joshiy or KG George flopped at the box office. Veteran writers Dennis Joseph and Gayathri Ashok—in separate interviews—remembered that producers were unwilling to bankroll Mammootty projects. The actor himself apparently broke down considering his career had come to an end. Meanwhile, his co-star, and the other significant ‘M’ of Mollywood, Mohanlal, was on a winning spree with back-to-back blockbusters.
And then released the career defining New Delhi (1987), which not just changed the fate of Mammootty but also of its writer-director combo of Dennis Joseph and Joshiy. After New Delhi’s premiere show, Priyadarshan apparently called Mohanlal and famously said, “Mammootty is going to make a comeback.” The ups and downs continued but Mammootty had already made is space as the ‘Megastar’ in the Malayali’s heart.
In the 1990s and the 2000s came the “darkest phase” of Malayalam cinema. In an interview, the actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan spoke about how Malayalam cinema—a mentor to the other film industries in terms of writing and technicalities—was creating mediocre and forgettable films because it was trying to compete with the other film industries like Tamil and Telugu, and, in turn, losing its essence. The superstars of the industry, including Mammootty, were embroiled in this mess, too. The filmography of every actor was littered with repeated alpha male characters as saviours of society, with lavish garnishing of humour and romance.
Near the turn of the century, however, Malayalam cinema was about to enter another golden era. Starting from the landmark film Traffic (2011) by the visionary late Rajesh Pillai, Malayalam audience welcomed their ‘new-gen’ filmmakers and actors who produced quality content rooted in their strength of true-to-life realistic films. While rooted in realism, they also explored other genres including sci-fiction and superhero films. Android Kunjappan Ver 5.25 (2019) and Minnal Murali (2021) are classic examples of how a sci-fiction and a superhero origin tale can still be rooted in the culture of the state .
Yet the superstars continued to deliver one formulaic film after another, expecting acceptance in the audience. While some worked, some tanked at the box office. Mammootty was often at the receiving end of many failures.
The film was an instant success. Just like the Rorschach inkblot test, the audience’s predicament kept changing with the introduction of new surprises throughout the movie. In a character portraying varying shades of ruthlessness and sadism, Mammootty yet again hit it out of the park.
In the years starting from 2011 to 2021 Mammootty acted in 53 movies on an average of over five films per year, including one each in Tamil and Telugu. A handful of these stood out in terms of his performance, while others merely repeated repeated his alpha male characters or were a regular ‘formula film’.
Given his decades of stardom and high volume of cult classics from the yesteryears, the recent careers choices left many fans of Malayalam cinema confused with Mammootty’s choices. Director Jeethu Joseph, who made the cult classic thriller Drishyam (2013), mentioned that Mammootty was his first choice for the movie, but it couldn’t work out due to schedule clashes. Drishyam went on to be an all-time blockbuster, and was remade in 8 languages around India and the rest of the world. This was a golden opportunity missed by Mammootty.
Finally in 2021, director Amal Neerad—beloved for his highly stylised filmmaking—announced his next film with Mammootty, the much-hyped Bheeshma Parvam. When the verdict was out with the film’s release in March 2022, it seemed as if Mammootty and Neerad had lived up to the hype. Mammootty as Michealappan, the patriarch of the powerful Anjootti family, was an age-appropriate choice that resonated well with his looks and body language. Stylish action set pieces, involving some innovative mocobot camera sequences, created high adrenaline moments. The audience was able to witness Mammootty’s mass action-avatar and superstar persona, further elevated by performances of the supporting cast and the high-pitched background score. The film broke all existing box office records, and Mammootty was beginning to redefine stardom.
The usual safe bet for any struggling star is to fall back on the mass action entertainers for a revival. For established superstars, the formula always works, as the audience is never tired of the roles that emulate their superstardom. Take for instance the return of Shah Rukh Khan or Kamal Haasan, both of whom bet on action thrillers Pathaan and Vikram respectively, each film that eventually became a blockbuster. Basking in the success, Khan went on to do another action flick to reaffirm his superstardom, while Haasan has announced that he will stay within this genre for his next two projects: Indian 2 and Thug Life.
It was expected, hence, that Mammootty may follow the trend to reaffirm his position in the industry, too. Following the success of Bheeshma Parvam, Mammootty announced his next line of surprising films, the most hyped of which was CBI 5: The Brain, the fifth instalment in the highly successful CBI franchise. Here, the megastar reprised the role of Sethuram Iyer, an intelligent and witty, yet nonchalant officer, set out to solving sensational cases. Though the critics panned the film, the audience was once again jubilant with the actor’s performance.
In CBI 5, the character, the film’s structure and Mammootty’s performance was roughly predictable, given that it was a part of a franchise. But what followed next in the series left the audience guessing, including the 2022 releases Puzhu, Rorschach with Nissam Basheer, and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam with Pellissery.
While debutant Ratheena’s Puzhu gave the audience the idea of an intense drama thriller focused on an unpleasant character with shades of grey, Rorschach followed as a phycological action thriller with supernatural elements set in a mysterious village, with an even more mysterious protagonist.
Puzhu was Mammootty’s first direct-to-digital release. Here, Mammootty efficiently plays the role of Kuttan, a single father and a businessman with a sophisticated, unpleasant past which reflects in his mannerisms as a strict and sadistic parent. The tension unfolds when his estranged sister, who is married to a man from a marginalized community, starts staying in the same building. We see caste-based tensions subtly emerging and how it plays out between the siblings, eventually culminating in a highly dramatized, tragic ending. Mammootty’s subtle mannerisms as a casteist bigot with maniacal undertones in the film showcased his class as an actor who could control such sensitive emotions in his body. In extremely unnerving scenes, his character holds manipulative conversations in an attempt to shape his son for an upper caste community. In Puzhu’s post-release discussions, many people even came out to discuss how triggering the father-son scenes were where they were reminded of their own strict parents.
Then, there was Rorschach. The Malayali audience always welcomed psychological thrillers. Even Tamil films of the genre have done good business in Kerala. But Rorschach was a step ahead. Mammootty plays Luke Antony, who is on the lookout for the killer of his pregnant wife. The twist, however was that the killer was already dead, and Luke is instead taking on the killer’s spirit. The film was an instant success. The execution, cinematography, music, and the acting were top notch. Just like the Rorschach inkblot test, the audience’s predicament kept changing with the introduction of new surprises throughout the movie. In a character portraying varying shades of ruthlessness and sadism, Mammootty yet again hit it out of the park.
The audience’s thrill with the megastar was reflected at the turnout for the premiere show of Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, at the International Film Festival of Kerala in December 2022. Tickets were sold-out in minutes both at Trivandrum and Kochi shows. Hundreds of fans were disappointed and protested at the venue for more shows of the movie (which didn’t materialize).
Mammootty’s New Year gift to his fans was just the right recipe: a flavourful satire with tinge of dark comedy suited for all audiences alike. As mentioned earlier, the story of NNM follows James, who suddenly wakes up as Sundaram in the middle of their return trip from Velankanni in Tamil Nadu, creating frenzy both within his set of family as well as the village folks. The villagers are dumbstruck as he resembled as well as carried himself like their Sundaram, who had gone missing two years back. What unfolds and how both the parties try to bring James back. Mammootty excels both as James and Sundaram, keeping the two characters distinct in mannerisms and body language.
Rorschach and Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam were unique in another way: both films were bankrolled by Mammootty, himself under his new venture Mammootty Kampany. A production house by Mammootty was something the industry had anticipated years ago, given that his counterpart, Mohanlal, had already produced over 30 films in this time. Mammootty’s son, the young superstar Dulquer Salmaan, has also produced and/or distributed dozens of films himself.
Now, Mammootty was also in the production business, and began to work with many new-age directors whose passion for storytelling was their foremost quality. In a roundtable discussion with Bharadwaj Rangan, ace Tamil film makers like Mani Ratnam, Sudha Kongara, Vetrimaaran and Mari Selvaraj explained how having a production house of their own had helped in the execution of their visions without having to dilute it for someone else’s gains. This step has also aided Mammootty in rectifying his own filmography. After a decade of thematically monotonous releases, his work had a larger scope for experimentation.
The next two production ventures testified of this idea, too, including Kannur Squad, a police procedural crime thriller by the debutant Roby Varghese Raj, which stood out for its right mix of realistic drama with entertainment quotient. The film shattered box office with a 100-crore gross worldwide. The overwhelming business, unusual for Malayalam films, also assured the audience that Mammootty Kampany was becoming a synonym for quality cinema.
Despite the pushback, Mammootty’s dedicated fan has ensured that even his ‘controversial’ films got a smooth release. In one way, Mammootty’s star power, and his choice to focus on social responsibility over financial gains, has helped him emerge beyond such criticism.
Their next film Kaathal – The Core set a benchmark for that quality, which featured acclaimed director Jeo Baby—of The Great Indian Kitchen (2021)—at the helm. Opposite Mammootty, Kathal also featured the Tamil superstar Jyothika as the female lead in the movie. Released in November 2023, the film not only received huge applause, but started much required discussion around LGBTQIA+ rights and freedom in India.
Kaathal follows the uneventful life of married couple Mathew Devassy (Mammootty) and Omana (Jyothika) in a serene conservative catholic village of Kottayam. Mathew has been nominated as the candidate for the upcoming by-elections with the support of a left-leaning party. Things take an ugly turn when the party and later, the whole village, come to know that Omana has filed for a divorce on the grounds that Mathew has a homosexual relationship with another villager. How Mathew and Omana navigate through these turbulent times and support each other in finding hope becomes the crux of the story.
While it is for another article to discuss about the film’s messaging and its accuracy, it is important to note how Mammootty’s presence in a film like Kaathal has encouraged a social dialogue. The film talks about the issues faced by closet homosexuals in a heterosexual relationship, and the impact it has on the heterosexual partner, too. The film also explores the intersectionality within homosexuality, where Mammootty has a relatively better support system given his social status in the society and an understanding family, while his gay partner must deal with eve-teasing and ostracism given his lower social status. The queer research scholar Anagh—who even plays a small role in Kaathal—revealed that, after watching the film, friends and acquaintances reached out and apologized to him for their hurtful homophobic attitude in the past.
There exists a risk in experimentation, and Mammootty, too, has been highly criticized for films like Puzhu and Kaathal by certain sections of the society for the themes of casteism and homosexuality. including upper-caste communities, the Catholic church, and Islamic groups. The film was also banned in some Gulf countries, which is a big market for Mammootty
Despite the pushback, Mammootty’s dedicated fan has ensured that even his ‘controversial’ films got a smooth release. In one way, Mammootty’s star power, and his choice to focus on social responsibility over financial gains, has helped him emerge beyond such criticism.
Mammootty’s approach could help guide other superstars of his league, too: While he is continuing to please his audience with engaging films, he is also educating them on quality content, thus elevating their tastes and the standards of Malayalam cinema. When Mohanlal chose to do Monster (2022)—which claimed to support the cause of LGBTQIA+ rights—the film did more harm by vilifying the community. When Shah Rukh starred in Jawan (2023), the social messaging was presented in a khichdi of public service announcements, stitched together with lavish antics by ‘King Khan’. When Kamal Hasaan delivered his monologue on a drug-free society in Vikram (2022), the audience was still left discussing the violent on-screen rampage at the end of the film.
The perfectionist, Aamir Khan, is one of the best examples of a superstar who has taken his social messaging responsibilities effectively. Projects such as Taare Zameen Par, where he talks about alternate forms of education for children with learning disabilities, PK, which critiqued the influence of fake godmen, or the TV series of Satyameva Jayate, which showcased the pressing issues faced by the people from different corners of India, Aamir Khan could not only entertain and reach millions of viewers but could also create a positive social impact. To an extent, the Pa-Ranjith—Rajinikant films, Kabali (2016) and Kaala (2018), also talked at length about casteism and the troubles faced by Tamil marginalized communities in Malaysia and Dharavi respectively. Rajinikant’s presence ensured that both films released had massive reach; Kabali reigns as the second-highest grossing Tamil film of all time.
Now 72, Mammootty has taken his own path, leaning on his superstardom for something more than the usual formula hits.
I believe that actors—especially stars with huge fan following—also have a social responsibility to create stories that inspire and educate the viewers. The influence of such films can be momentous for the audience. True, a small industry like Malayalam has a small success ratio; but if a small industry is ready to take such risks with its superstar, why can’t the others?
I hope that Mammootty continues to tread the unconventional path, to let the Sundaram in him continue to deliver Shivaji Ganesh monologues, while riding heartily on the moped across the maize fields, to excel beyond all our expectations.
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Deekshith R Pai is a freelance documentary photographer and writer, with a primary interest in the development sector especially communities, gender, livelihoods, and ecology. He is also a film enthusiast and loves analysing films through various social lenses. You can find him on Instagram: @dr.pai98 and Twitter: DRPai98.
