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Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known mononymously by the
hypocorism A hypocorism ( or ; from Ancient Greek ; sometimes also ''hypocoristic''), or pet name, is a name used to show affection for a person. It may be a diminutive form of a person's name, such as ''Izzy'' for Isabel or ''Bob (given name), Bob'' fo ...
Mammootty (), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in
Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry (union territory), Puducherry (Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of ...
-language films. He has also appeared in
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
,
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India ** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language. * Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India * Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
,
Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...
,
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, and
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...
-language productions. In a prolific career spanning five decades, he has appeared in more than 400 films, predominantly in lead roles. He is the recipient of several accolades, including three
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
, eleven
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
, eleven
Kerala Film Critics Awards The Kerala Film Critics Association Awards are presented annually by the Kerala Film Critics Association to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Malayalam language film industry of India. The awards were instit ...
and fifteen
Filmfare Awards South The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
. He was honored with the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
, the fourth-highest civilian award by the
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in 1998, for his contributions to cinema. He was also honored with the Kerala Prabha Award by the
Government of Kerala The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...
in 2022. Mammootty was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by
CNN Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
. Mammootty made his debut in acting through Malayalam film ''
Anubhavangal Paalichakal ''Anubhavangal Paalichakal'' () is a 1971 Malayalam-language film scripted by Thoppil Bhasi and directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. The film stars Sathyan, Prem N ...
'' in 1971. His first leading role was in
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
's unreleased film '' Devalokam'' (1979). Mammootty's breakthrough came in 1981 when he received the
Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor was an award presented annually from 1969 to 2014 at the Kerala State Film Awards of India. The Kerala State Film Awards is managed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous non-prof ...
for his performance in ''
Ahimsa (, IAST: , ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. (also spelled Ahinsa) is one of the cardinal vi ...
''. Major commercial successes during this time included the 1983 films ''
Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu ''Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu'' () is a 1983 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written by Thoppil Bhasi and directed by P. G. Viswambharan. It is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by P. R. Shyamala. The film features Mammootty, Shankar ...
'' and '' Aa Raathri''. Following a series of box office failures, the 1987 crime thriller ''
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
'' improved his commercial prospects. The films that followed through the next decade established Mammootty as one of the leading stars of Malayalam cinema. The 2000s were a period of critical and commercial success for him. His performance in the Hindi and English-language bilingual biopic ''
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Bhīmrāo Rāmjī Āmbēḍkar; 14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on t ...
'' (2000) won him the National Film Award for Best Actor, and he won Kerala State Film Awards for '' Kaazcha'' (2004) and '' Paleri Manikyam'' (2009). He garnered further critical praise for the satire ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint ''Pranchiyettan & the Saint'' is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ranjith. The film centres on the fictitious conversation between the Thrissur-based businessman C. E. Francis, a.k.a. Pr ...
'' (2010), drama '' Varsham'' (2014), period drama ''
Pathemari Pathemari () is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language period drama film written and directed by Salim Ahamed and starring Mammootty in the lead role, with a supporting cast that includes Jewel Mary, Siddique, Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Shaheen Sidd ...
'' (2015) and black comedy ''
Unda Unda or UNDA may refer to: * Unda (genus), a genus of Amoebozoa * Unda (plural "undae"), a term for an extraterrestrial dune field * Unda (organization), the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television which was merged with OCIC t ...
'' (2019), and received Filmfare Awards for Best Actor for the first three. His highest-grossing releases include the action comedy ''
Madhura Raja ''Madhura Raja'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Vysakh, written by Udaykrishna and starring Mammootty, Jagapathi Babu and Jai alongside Anusree, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar, M ...
'' (2019), the action thriller ''
Bheeshma Parvam ''Bheeshma Parvam'' () is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film produced, written, and directed by Amal Neerad. The film stars Mammootty in the lead role along with a supporting cast of Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Shine Tom ...
'' (2022), and the crime thriller ''
Kannur Squad ''Kannur Squad'' is a 2023 Indian Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Roby Varghese Raj in his directorial debut and written by Muhammed Shafi and Rony David Raj. The film stars Mammootty alongside Azees Nedumangad, Rony Dav ...
'' (2023). He is the chairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs the Malayalam television channels
Kairali TV Kairali TV is an Indian Malayalam-language general entertainment free-to-air television channel owned by PTC Network via holding company G-Next Media Pvt Ltd . It is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram. It was launched on 17 August 2000. Hist ...
, Kairali News, and Kairali We. He is the owner of multiple production ventures, including the distribution-production banner, Playhouse, and production company, Mammootty Kampany.


Early life and family

Mammootty was born on 7 September 1951 in
Chandiroor Chandiroor is a village in Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is situated on National Highway 66 (India) between Eramalloor and Aroor. It is part of the Aroor Assembly constituency and the Alappuzha Parliamentary constituency. Historically, i ...
. He was raised in the village of Chempu near
Vaikom Vaikom () is a Municipalities of Kerala, municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala. It is located north of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital of Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 Indian census, V ...
in
Kottayam district Kottayam () is one of List of districts of Kerala, 14 districts in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kerala. Kottayam district comprises six municipal towns: Kottayam, Changanassery, Pala, Kerala, Pala, Erattupetta, Ettu ...
in the present-day state of
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in a middle-class
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
family. His father, Ismail, had a wholesale garment and rice business and was involved in rice cultivation. His mother, Fatima, was a housewife. He is their eldest son. He has two younger brothers, Ibrahimkutty and Zakariah, and three younger sisters, Ameena, Sauda and Shafina. He went to Government High School, Kulasekharamangalam, Kottayam for his primary education. In the 1960s, his father moved the family to
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
, where he attended Government School Ernakulam. He did his
pre-university course According to the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED), basic education comprises the two stages primary education and lower secondary education. Universal basic education Basic education featured heavily in the 1997 ISCED ...
(pre-degree) at
Sacred Heart College, Thevara Sacred Heart College (Autonomous), Kochi is a premier, first grade Arts, Science, and Commerce College affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. It was established in 1944. In the year 2000, the college was accredited by the Nationa ...
. He attended
Maharaja's College, Ernakulam The Maharaja's College is a Public university, government college located in the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. Established in 1875, it is one of the oldest colleges in India. Located in the heart of the city, the college campus is spread ov ...
, for his degree. He graduated with an
LL.B. A Bachelor of Laws (; LLB) is an undergraduate law degree offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree and serves as the first professional qualification for legal practitioners. This degree requires the study of core legal subje ...
from
Government Law College, Ernakulam The Government Law College, Ernakulam, also known as His Highness the Maharajas Government Law College, Ernakulam is a prestigious institution for undergraduate and post-graduate legal education in Kochi, Kerala, India. Founded in 1875, it is ...
. He practised law for two years in
Manjeri Manjeri () is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It is the fourth-most populous List of cities and towns in Kerala, municipality in the state. It is situated southeast of Calicut International Airport, Karipur ...
. He married Sulfath Kuttyy in 1979 in an
arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of Marriage, marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures, a professional matchmaki ...
. The couple has a daughter Surumi (born 1982), and a son
Dulquer Salmaan Dulquer Salmaan (; born 28 July 1983) is an Indian actor, singer and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam films. One of the highest paid Malayalam actors, Salmaan is a recipient of several awards including five Film ...
(born 1983)—also an actor. He resides in
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
with his family. His younger brother, Ibrahimkutty, has also acted in
Malayalam films Malayalam cinema, also referred to as Mollywood, is a segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to producing films in the Malayalam, Malayalam language, primarily spoken in Kerala and the Lakshadweep islands. It encompasses both th ...
. His nephews,
Maqbool Salmaan Maqbool Salmaan is an Indian actor who appears in Malayalam films. The son of television actor Ibrahimkutty and the nephew of actor Mammooty, Maqbool made his acting debut by playing a short role in A. K. Saajan's '' Asuravithu'' (2012). H ...
and
Ashkar Saudan Ashkar Saudan is an Indian actor who predominantly work in the Malayalam cinema. He made his acting debut through the movie '' Thaskaraveeran'' directed by Pramod Pappan starring Mammootty in 2005. Career He started his career as an actor in th ...
, are Malayalam film and television actors.


Film career


1971–1982: Early career

Mammootty made his onscreen debut as an extra in
K. S. Sethumadhavan Kurukkalpadam Subrahmanyam Sethumadhavan (15 May 1931 – 24 December 2021) was an Indian film director and screenwriter who worked predominantly in Malayalam cinema. He also directed films in Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu. Since the early ...
’s ''
Anubhavangal Paalichakal ''Anubhavangal Paalichakal'' () is a 1971 Malayalam-language film scripted by Thoppil Bhasi and directed by K. S. Sethumadhavan. It is based on the novel of the same name written by Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai. The film stars Sathyan, Prem N ...
'' (1971) at the age of 20. He made his second appearance in an uncredited role in the 1973 film '' Kaalachakram,'' directed by K. Narayanan. He was cast in a small role as a boatman. It was in this film that he said his first dialogue. In 1975, he acted in the theatre drama ''Sabarmathi''. After his graduation from Maharaja's college in 1976, Mammootty began his practice as a lawyer in
Manjeri Manjeri () is a major town and municipality in Malappuram district, Kerala, India. It is the fourth-most populous List of cities and towns in Kerala, municipality in the state. It is situated southeast of Calicut International Airport, Karipur ...
. During this time, he met his mentor
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
, who cast him in a pivotal role in '' Devalokam'' (1979). However, due to financial constraints and conflicts among cast and crew, the film stopped shooting halfway. As the film did not get a release Vasudevan Nair cast him in a minor role in ''
Vilkkanundu Swapnangal ''Vilkkanundu Swapnangal'' () is a 1980 Indian Malayalam-language drama film, directed by Azad, written by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and produced by V. B. K. Menon. The film stars Sukumaran, Srividya, Sudheer, Bahadoor and Sreenivasan. The film also ...
'' (1980), directed by Azad and scripted by Nair, his first credited role. During the filming of ''Vilkkanundu Swapnangal,'' Mammootty met and got closer to
Sreenivasan Sreenivasan (born 6 April 1956) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, dubbing artist and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Sreenivasan has starred in over 225 films. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplays of films such a ...
. When K. G. George was looking for a newcomer with a “smart and handsome personality” as a daredevil motorcycle jumper for his film '' Mela'' (1980), Sreenivasan suggested Mammooty's name while they were shooting at the Raymon circus at
Ernakulam Ernakulam () is the central business district of the city of Kochi, Kerala, India. It is the namesake of Ernakulam district. The eastern part of Kochi city is mainly known as Ernakulam, while the western part of it after the Venduruthy Bridge ...
. ''Mela'' was the first Malayalam film to feature him in a prominent role. He was then cast in a supporting role in Vijayachithra Combines’ big budget action film '' Sphodanam'' (1981), directed by P. G. Vishwambharan. He was credited as "Sajin" in the film as Vishwanbharan felt that the name "Mammootty" did not suit an actor. The same year, he made his first-ever appearance as a lead actor in the Malayalam film ''
Thrishna ''Thrishna'' is a 1981 Indian Malayalam film written by M. T Vasudevan Nair, directed by I. V. Sasi and produced by Rosamma George. The film has musical score by Shyam. The film stars Mammootty, Rajyalakshmi, Swapna and Kaviyoor Ponnamma in ...
'' (1981), which won the
Filmfare Award for Best Film The Filmfare Award for Best Film is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films. The award was first given in 1954. Here is a list of the award winners and the nominees of the respective years. Eac ...
. Later that year, he appeared in a supporting role in
I. V. Sasi Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1948 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest a ...
’s political film ''
Ahimsa (, IAST: , ) is the ancient Indian principle of nonviolence which applies to actions towards all living beings. It is a key virtue in Indian religions like Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. (also spelled Ahinsa) is one of the cardinal vi ...
'' (1981), which earned him the
Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor was an award presented annually from 1969 to 2014 at the Kerala State Film Awards of India. The Kerala State Film Awards is managed by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, an autonomous non-prof ...
. The next year, he starred alongside Bharath Gopy in K. G. George's epoch making ''
Yavanika ''Yavanika'' () is a 1982 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film written and directed by K. G. George. It stars Bharath Gopi, Mammootty, Nedumudi Venu, and Jalaja. ''Yavanika'' is one of George's most celebrated films; it rece ...
'' (1982), as a police inspector who is on the search for an unpopular tabla player of a travelling drama group who suddenly disappears.
Jijo Punnoose Jijo Punnoose is an Indian film director, producer and actor from Kerala. He is best known for directing the two landmark films in Malayalam cinema'' Padayottam'' (1982) and '' My Dear Kuttichathan'' (1984). Jijo directed ''Padayottam'', the f ...
experimented Mammootty in a negative role in the epic period drama ''
Padayottam Padayottam may refer to: * ''Padayottam'' (1982 film), an Indian Malayalam-language epic period drama film * ''Padayottam'' (2018 film), an Indian Malayalam-language black comedy film {{disambiguation ...
'' (1982). I. V. Sasi cast him in a pivotal role in ''
John Jaffer Janardhanan ''John Jaffer Janardhanan'' is a 1982 Malayalam-language masala film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran, starring Ratheesh, Ravindran and Mammootty. It is a remake of the 1977 Hindi film ''Amar Akbar Anthony''. Plot Three brother ...
'' (1982), the Malayalam remake of
Manmohan Desai Manmohan Desai (26 February 1937 – 1 March 1994) was an Indian film producer and director. He was one of the most successful filmmakers of the 70s and 80s. Desai was an influential and sought-after film director of Bollywood and a pioneer of ...
’s Hindi film ''
Amar Akbar Anthony ''Amar Akbar Anthony'' is a 1977 Indian Hindi-language masala film directed and produced by Manmohan Desai and written by Kader Khan. Released in India on 27 May 1977, the film stars an ensemble cast of Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Amitabh Bac ...
'' (1977). He was then cast in a major supporting role in Sasi's political drama ''
Ee Nadu ''Ee Nadu'' is a 1982 Indian Malayalam-language political film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran and produced by N. G. John. The film stars Balan K. Nair with Mammootty, Ratheesh, and T. G. Ravi in supporting roles. The music s ...
'' (1982), which was a major commercial success, becoming the highest grossing South Indian film of the year. Mammootty played supporting roles in most of the films released during the year. He had 23 of his films released during the year.


1983–1986: Experimentation and breakthrough

In 1983, he started to transition into leading roles.
Balu Kiriyath Balu Kiriyath is an Indian Malayalam film lyricist, screenwriter and director. Early life He was born on 29 November 1954 in Alwaye as son of R.S. Pillai and C.P. Malathy Amma. He was the first district President of KSC (Trivandrum) and gen ...
experimented with Mammootty by casting him as the lead in the comedy drama ''
Visa Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...
,'' which was declared a hit at the box office. In his next film, ''
Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu ''Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu'' () is a 1983 Indian Malayalam-language drama film written by Thoppil Bhasi and directed by P. G. Viswambharan. It is based on the 1980 novel of the same name by P. R. Shyamala. The film features Mammootty, Shankar ...
,'' directed by P. G. Vishwambaran, he played the role of a
libertine A libertine is a person questioning and challenging most moral principles, such as responsibility or Human sexual activity, sexual restraints, and will often declare these traits as unnecessary, undesirable or evil. A libertine is especially som ...
lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...
who takes up the case of a female physician who is charged with medical negligence. The film became a major commercial success, running for 250 days in theatres. A critic of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' wrote, "Seema, as Dr. Bala gives a stand out performance, being particularly impressive in highly emotional sequences. She is matched in acting by Mammootty, who is advocate Jayamohan." In 2017, ''
The Times of India ''The Times of India'' (''TOI'') is an Indian English-language daily newspaper and digital news media owned and managed by the Times Group. It is the List of newspapers in India by circulation, third-largest newspaper in India by circulation an ...
'' described Mammootty's role as one of the "astounding advocate roles he has given life to". ''Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu'' is credited with solidifying Mammootty's status as a
leading man A leading actor, leading actress, or leading man or lady or simply lead (), plays a main role in a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person w ...
. He then starred in Vishwambaran's '' Pinnilavu,'' a film about a fight of ethics between a father and son. A multi starrer, it was also a commercial success, running for 150 days in theatres. He then appeared in a supporting role in K. G. George's controversial classic ''
Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback ''Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback'' () is a 1983 Malayalam-language film by K. G. George and produced by Innocent. The film was controversial because of the protagonist's similarities to the actress Shoba, whose suicide was highly publicized. I ...
.'' In the film, Mammootty plays the role of a film superstar, a character modelled after
Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...
. On 15 May 1983, Sreedhar Pillai of ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' wrote, "Mammootty, the current rage of the Malayalam screen, successfully apes the mannerisms of fellow actor Prem Nazir in his Prem Sagar role." He then starred as an antihero in P. Padmarajan's classic ''
Koodevide ''Koodevide?'' () is a 1983 Malayalam-language drama film, written and directed by P. Padmarajan, starring Mammootty, Suhasini Maniratnam, Suhasini, and Rahman (actor), Rahman. The film is based on the Tamil language, Tamil novel ''Moongil Pook ...
.'' In the film, he plays the role of a jealous and possessive lover of a boarding school teacher. The film was a major commercial success. Anandu Suresh of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' wrote, "Mammootty here adeptly navigated a range of emotions. But particularly impressive was his depiction of Thomas’ jealousy, triggered by Alice's close bond with one of her students, a mother-son-like one which Thomas misconstrues as romantic. Mammootty skillfully showcased Thomas’ descent into villainy, capturing his character's sinister demeanour and willingness to go the extra mile to win Alice's affection just for himself." His pairing with Suhasini was very successful and was continued in films like ''
Ente Upasana ''Ente Upasana'' is a 1984 Malayalam film, directed by Bharathan, written by Thoppil Bhasi, starring Mammootty and Suhasini. The film is based on the award-winning novel ''Upasana'' by Mallika Yunis. The film was remade in Telugu as ''Karpoora ...
'' (1984). ''Koodevide'' was also selected for screening in that year's Indian Panorama. It also won the Kerala State Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He then collaborated with director
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
for the first time for '' Aa Raathri.'' Despite mixed critical response, it was a commercial success. It had a very successful soundtrack, credited with launching
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
's Malayalam film career. Critics consider ''Aa Rathri'' to be a trendsetter. It is regarded to be the first of the Kutty Petty films, tear-jerker family-drama tragedy of the 1980s. Films of this genre typically featured a happy family in the beginning, with a well-placed husband-cum-father, a young mother and a girl child of the age of 3 or 4. In the end, the family gets into a whirlpool of relationship problems. Other notable releases of the year were supporting roles in Fazil's ''
Eettillam ''Eettillam'' is 1983 Malayalam film written and directed by Fazil, starring Nedumudi Venu, Mammootty, Bharath Gopi, Menaka, Jalaja and Kalaranjini in the lead roles. The film stars Nedumudi Venu, Menaka, Mammootty and Bharath Gopi in lead r ...
'' and I. V. Sasi's political '' Iniyenkilum.'' Reviewing ''Iniyenkilum'' for ''India Today'', Sreedhar Pillai wrote, "Mammootty easily outshines everyone else as the villainous politician." In 1984, he starred as the smuggler Tharadas in I. V. Sasi's '' Athirathram.'' The film achieved considerable commercial success and the character of Tharadas gained a cult following among the youth. Mammootty, who was considered a bankable leading actor was propelled to superstardom with the success of the film. Owing to the popularity of the character, it was reprised by Mammootty in ''
Balram vs Tharadas ''Balram vs. Tharadas'' is a 2006 Indian Malayalam-language action film directed by I.V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran and S. N. Swamy, and starring Mammootty in the titular dual role, with Katrina Kaif, Mukesh and Siddique. It was a cross ...
'' (2006). He then starred in I. V. Sasi's ''
Kanamarayathu ''Kanamarayathu'' () is a 1984 Malayalam film written by Padmarajan Padmarajan Padmanabhan Pillai, better known as P. Padmarajan (23 May 1945 – 23 January 1991) was an Indian film maker, screenwriter and author who was known for his work ...
,'' an adaptation of the 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs by
Jean Webster Jean Webster was the pen name of Alice Jane Chandler Webster (July 24, 1876 – June 11, 1916), an American author whose books include ''Daddy-Long-Legs (novel), Daddy-Long-Legs'' and ''Dear Enemy (novel), Dear Enemy''. Her best-known books fea ...
. In the film he plays the role of the sole successor of a rich business empire who falls for an orphan girl younger than him. ''Kanamarayathu'' explores the concept of relationships between couples with a large disparity in their ages, which challenged Indian social mores. Upon release the film received critical acclaim and became a commercial success. For his performance as Roy Varghese, Mammootty won his first
Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually at the Kerala Film Critics Association Awards, honouring the best performances by male actors in Malayalam films. Superlatives Winners See also * Kerala ...
. The film has over the years accumulated a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and is now considered a
classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of Masterpiece, lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or Literary merit, highest quality, class, or rank – something that Exemplification, exemplifies its ...
in Malayalam cinema. He then starred as a police officer in
Bharathan Bharathan Parameshwara Menon Palissery (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) Known mononymously Bharathan was an Indian people, Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film ma ...
's ''
Ithiri Poove Chuvannapoove ''Ithiri Poove Chuvannapoove'' is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language film, directed by Bharathan, with story written by Thikkodiyan and produced by P. V. Gangadharan. The film stars Madhu, Mammootty, Rahman, K R Vijaya, Suresh and Shobana. The f ...
.'' The film explores the relationship between a police officer and his younger brother, who becomes a
Naxalite Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight ...
. It was a critical success and had a successful soundtrack. He then appeared in a supporting role in the
art house film Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...
, '' Akkare''. In the film he portrays a non resident Malayali. The film is a satirical take on the obsession, especially of the middle class of other's lifestyle. He then starred as a vengeful fisherman back from prison in I. V. Sasi's '' Adiyozhukkukal.'' The film was a commercial and critical success. Mammootty won his first
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...
and his first
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam is presented annually by ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its Filmfare Awards South ceremony, honoring excellence in Malayalam cinema. The award was instituted in 1972 and is determined by a jury. ...
for his performance as Karunan. Mammootty's performance in the film is often considered one of the best in his early career. The film was produced by Casino Productions, a production company owned by Century Kochumon,
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
,
I. V. Sasi Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1948 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest a ...
, and Mammootty. He also starred in I. V. Sasi's ''
Aalkkoottathil Thaniye ''Aalkkoottathil Thaniye'' ) is a 1984 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, and produced by Raju Mathew. It is based on the short story ''Swargam Thurakkunna Samayam'' by Nair. The film ...
,'' a box office hit. In 1988, film scholar Vasanthi Shankaranarayanan wrote, "''Aalkkottathil Thaniye'' shows the changing image of woman in contemporary Malayalam cinema. From weak and enslaved to strong and independent." ''Aalkkottathil Thaniye'', the screenplay was released as a book by
DC Books DC Books is a book publisher based in Kerala, India. It publishes books in Malayalam. DC Books DC Books is a publisher and bookseller with headquarters in Kottayam, Kerala, India. It has published over 6,500 titles, mainly literature in Malay ...
in 2009. That year he also starred in several Kutty Petty films that received negative critical reviews but were successful at the box office, notable of which were ''
Sandarbham 'Sandarbham' is a 1984 Malayalam film directed by Joshiy, written by Cochin Haneefa, screenplay by Kaloor Dennis, and starring Mammootty, Sukumaran, Saritha, Seema, P. K. Abraham, K. P. A. C. Sunny and Unni Mary. The film is a typical tear ...
,
Koottinilamkili ''Koottinilamkili'' is a 1984 Indian Malayalam film, directed by Sajan and produced by P. T. Xavier. The film stars Sukumari, Mammootty, Adoor Bhasi and Maniyanpilla Raju in the lead roles. The film has musical score by Shyam. Plot Krishnan ...
'' and '' Chakkarayumma.'' The former of which was a major box office hit, running for 150 days in theatres. It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. The genre had now become synonymous with Mammootty, being renamed the Mammootty-Kutty-Petty film. The following year, he starred in Padmarajan's '' Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam,'' based on the radio drama ''Ammaykku Vendi'' by Sajini Pavithran'','' in which he plays the role of a man who wants to sell his ancestral house and put his mother in an old age home. The film explores the layers of family relationship in a rural setting threatened by urban culture and explains how the imminent breakdown of the joint family is prevented by a death. Upon release, the film was critically acclaimed, winning the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam The National Film Award for Best Malayalam Feature Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Rajat ...
that year. He then starred in I. V. Sasi's ''
Anubandham ''Anubandham'' () may refer to: * ''Anubandham'' (1984 film), a Telugu film * ''Anubandham'' (1985 film), a Malayalam film {{disambiguation ...
,'' scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, the film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning four Kerala State Film Awards that year. He collaborated with Nair and Sasi once again that year with '' Karimbinpoovinakkare,'' in which he played the role of Shivan, who in a state of rage kills his best friend due to a misunderstanding and explores how he repents for his sin. The film was a commercial success. He then, starred as Ravi Varma, a millionaire on death row for killing his wife in Joshiy's ''
Nirakkoottu ''Nirakkoottu'' is a List of Malayalam films of 1985, 1985 Indian Malayalam cinema, Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Joshiy, written by Dennis Joseph, starring Mammootty, Sumalatha, Urvashi (actress), Urvashi, Lizy (actress), L ...
.'' The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of that year. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam film. He then starred as a forest officer who is mistaken for a Naxalite, arrested and jailed for many years in Balu Mahendra's romantic drama ''
Yathra ''Yathra'' () is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film stars Mammootty and Shobana, while Adoor Bhasi, Thilakan and Alummoodan play supporting roles. The film tells a fictional st ...
.'' The film tells a fictional story but is built upon the human rights violations by the police and the prison authorities in India during the emergency of 1975–1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. It is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classic ''The Yellow Handkerchief''. The film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. It was declared a blockbuster, running for 200 days in theatres, becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year. For his performance, Mammootty won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in ''
Yathra ''Yathra'' () is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film stars Mammootty and Shobana, while Adoor Bhasi, Thilakan and Alummoodan play supporting roles. The film tells a fictional st ...
'', as well as a Special Jury Award for his performances in both ''
Yathra ''Yathra'' () is a 1985 Indian Malayalam-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film stars Mammootty and Shobana, while Adoor Bhasi, Thilakan and Alummoodan play supporting roles. The film tells a fictional st ...
'' and ''
Nirakkoottu ''Nirakkoottu'' is a List of Malayalam films of 1985, 1985 Indian Malayalam cinema, Malayalam-language crime thriller film directed by Joshiy, written by Dennis Joseph, starring Mammootty, Sumalatha, Urvashi (actress), Urvashi, Lizy (actress), L ...
''. In 1986 alone, he acted in about 35 films, including a brief appearance in ''
Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu ''Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu'' () is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language comedy film directed by Priyadarshan and written by Sreenivasan from a story by Jagadish. It stars an ensemble cast led by Mohanlal, Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Jagathi Sreekum ...
''. In 1986, he teamed up with
I. V. Sasi Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1948 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest a ...
for the film
Aavanazhi ''Aavanazhi'' is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language action film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran. The film deals with social and political issues of that time. It stars Mammootty, Geetha, Seema, Sukumaran, Captain Raju, Janarda ...
, which was written by T. Damodaran. Mammootty appears in the lead role as Balram, a police officer. Both
Inspector Balram ''Inspector Balram'' is a 1991 Malayalam film directed by I. V. Sasi, scripted by T. Damodaran, and starring Mammootty. It is a sequel to the 1986 film '' Aavanazhi'' and was followed by a sequel, '' Balram vs. Taradas'', in 2006. The movie w ...
and Balram vs. Tharadas are sequels to this film. The film was a huge hit at the box office. The film ran for over 200 days. The film was remade in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.


1987–1990

Following a series of flops, Mammootty found commercial success with the crime thriller ''
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
'' (1987), directed by
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
and written by
Dennis Joseph Dennis Joseph (20 October 1957 – 10 May 2021) was an Indian scriptwriter and director known for his work in Malayalam films. He was active during the 1980s and early 1990s. He frequently collaborated with directors Joshiy and Thambi Kannantha ...
. He played G. Krishnamoorthy, a victimised journalist who systematically arranges the killing of politicians who had implicated him under false charges. ''New Delhi'' was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film released at that point. After its release,
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
, wanting to remake the film in Tamil, offered to buy the rights from Joseph, but the rights for Kannada, Telugu and Hindi-language remakes were already sold by that time. In the same year, he played Balagopalan, a school teacher who is deemed mad by society owing to a superstitious belief, in the drama ''
Thaniyavarthanam ''Thaniyavarthanam'' () is a 1987 Malayalam language psychological drama film written by A. K. Lohithadas and directed by Sibi Malayil. It stars Mammootty as school teacher Balagopalan, Thilakan as the uncle of the matrilineal family, Mukesh as ...
'', directed by
Sibi Malayil Sibi (; ;) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name. Etymology The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hin ...
and written by
A. K. Lohithadas Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (10 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, film maker, and producer who worked in the Malayalam film industry. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a Nationa ...
. It won the
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Malayalam The Filmfare Best Film Award is given by the ''Filmfare'' magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards South for Malayalam Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian languages, Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union ...
at the Filmfare Awards South. Mammootty's performance received acclaim from film critics. In the first of his several releases in 1988, Mammootty appeared in the comedy film ''
Manu Uncle ''Manu Uncle'' is a List of Malayalam films of 1988, 1988 Indian Malayalam cinema, Malayalam-language comedy-drama film directed by Dennis Joseph and produced by Jubilee Productions, Joy Thomas. Starring Mammootty,M. G. Soman, Prathapachandran, ...
'', directed by Dennis Joseph. Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi made cameo appearances in the film. It received the
National Film Award for Best Children's Film The National Film Award for Best Children's Film is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Golden Lotus ...
at the
36th National Film Awards The 36th National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1988. Ceremony took place ...
. Mammootty played an investigator called Sethurama Iyer in another film, ''
Oru CBI Diary Kurippu ''Oru CBI Diary Kurippu'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by K. Madhu, written by S. N. Swamy, and starring Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Jagathy Sreekumar, Mukesh, and Sukumaran. The lead character, CBI office ...
'', which served as the first instalment in the CBI series. The film set box office records both in Kerala and
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. The film's one-year theatrical run in Tamil Nadu continues to remain an all-time record. That year, he also appeared in the
Sibi Malayil Sibi (; ;) is a city situated in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the district and tehsil of the same name. Etymology The origin of the town's name is attributed to Rani Sewi, a Hin ...
-directed
action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
''
August 1 Events Pre-1600 * 30 BC – Octavian (later known as Augustus) enters Alexandria, Egypt, bringing it under the control of the Roman Republic. *AD 69 – Batavian rebellion: The Batavians in Germania Inferior (Netherlands) revolt u ...
'', which was based on the novel '' The Day of the Jackal'', by
Frederick Forsyth Frederick McCarthy Forsyth ( ; 25 August 1938 – 9 June 2025) was an English novelist and journalist. He was best known for thrillers such as ''The Day of the Jackal'', ''The Odessa File'', ''The Fourth Protocol'', ''The Dogs of War (novel), ...
. The film's rights were sold in Tamil Nadu for a record-breaking price at the time. Additionally, Mammootty and I. V. Sasi worked together on three projects in the same year: the romantic film ''
Abkari ''Abkari'' is a 1988 Malayalam movie starring Mammootty and Ratheesh in the title roles. It was written by T. Damodaran and was directed by I. V. Sasi. Plot Vasu and Chacko are working as drivers and low ranking workers for the ''Abkari'' cont ...
'', the drama ''
Mukthi ''Mukthi'' is a 1988 Indian Malayalam film, directed by I. V. Sasi and produced by Raju Mathew. The film stars Mammootty, Shobhana, Urvashi and Thilakan in the lead roles. This film was released on October 8, 1988 on the Eve of Diwali Plot ...
'' and the war film ''
1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...
''. In the latter, Mammootty played Khader, a
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
veteran who joins the
Malabar rebellion The Malabar rebellion of 1921 (also called Moplah rebellion, and Mappila rebellion, Malayalam: ''malabār kalāpam'') started as a resistance against the British colonial rule in certain places in the southern part of old Malabar district of pr ...
. The film, which cost over 1.2 crore to produce, earned 2 crore during its theatrical run. In 1988, Mammootty collaborated with
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
for two films, '' Sangham'' and ''
Thanthram ''Thanthram'' () is a 1988 Indian Malayalam-language drama film, directed by Joshiy and produced by Mathew George. The film stars Mammootty, Urvashi, Ratheesh and Jagannatha Varma. The film was remade in Telugu as '' Chettu Kinda Pleader'' (1989 ...
''. The following year, Mammootty starred with Rahman and
Shobana Shobana Chandrakumar Pillai (born 21 March 1970); known mononymously as Shobana, is an Indian actress and Bharatanatyam dancer, who works predominantly in Malayalam films, in addition to Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, English and Kannada films. She is ...
in the G. S. Vijayan
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
''
Charithram ''Charithram'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language thriller film starring Mammootty and Rahman, along with Shobana, Lizy, Jagathy Sreekumar, Janardhanan, Murali and Pappu Pappu (पप्पु) is a male given name in some regions of I ...
''. The story is adapted from the English movie '' Chase a Crooked Shadow''. The story is about the relationship between two brothers. In the same year, he acted in a film which is considered as one of the best crime thriller in Malayalam cinema, ''
Adikkurippu ''Adikkurippu'' is a 1989 Malayalam-language legal thriller film, written by S. N. Swamy and directed by K. Madhu. It stars Mammootty in the lead role, who plays the role of an advocate. The movie was praised for introducing a new theme in Mala ...
'', written by S. N. Swamy and directed by K. Madhu. In 1989, Mammootty starred in the lead as
Chandu Chekavar Chandu Chekavar (''Chathiyan Chanthu'', also known as Chandu Panicker), was a sixteenth-century ''chekavar'' of the Chekavar family from Kerala folklore, mentioned in the folk songs of Northern Kerala called ''Vadakkan Pattukal''. Popular cultu ...
, in the epic historical drama film ''
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' (), credited internationally as ''A Northern Story of Valor'', is a subplot of Vadakkan Pattukal, a medieval ballad from North Malabar and is often regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema. The film won four Nation ...
'', directed by Hariharan and written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
. The movie has won four
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
, including Best Actor(Mammootty),
Best Screenplay This list of screenwriting awards for film is an index to articles on notable awards given for film screenwriting. The list is organized by region and country of the awards venue or sponsor, but winners are not necessarily restricted to people fro ...
(M.T Vasudevan Nair), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design( P. Krishnamoorthy). The movie has selected as Best Malayalam Movie in
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
, also the movie has won seven
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
. The movie received both commercial and critical acclaim and ran for over 300 days. It is considered as one of the greatest films of all time. In an online poll conducted in 2013 by
IBN Live Network18 Media & Investments Limited, ( d/b/a Network18 Group) is an Indian media conglomerate owned by the Reliance Industries, headed by Mukesh Ambani. Rahul Joshi is the managing director, chief executive officer and group editor-in-chie ...
, as a part of Indian Cinema completing 100 years, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha listed as the third greatest Indian Film of all time. In the same year, Mammootty starred with
Sukumaran E. P. P. Sukumaran Nair (10 June 1948 – 16 June 1997), known mononymously as Sukumaran, was an Indian actor and producer of Malayalam films. Sukumaran became a popular film star in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s. He was considered one o ...
in the
Mystery Mystery, The Mystery, Mysteries or The Mysteries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional characters *Mystery, a cat character in ''Emily the Strange'' *Mystery, a seahorse that SpongeBob SquarePants adopts in the episode " My Pre ...
-
thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
'' Utharam'', written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
. The story was based on the short story No Motive by
Daphne du Maurier Dame Daphne du Maurier, Lady Browning, (; 13 May 1907 – 19 April 1989) was an English novelist, biographer and playwright. Her parents were actor-manager Gerald du Maurier, Sir Gerald du Maurier and his wife, actress Muriel Beaumont. Her gra ...
. Utharam is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam cinema. Second movie in ''
CBI (film series) ''CBI Film Franchise'' is an Indian Malayalam-language film series of mystery films directed by K. Madhu and written by S. N. Swamy featuring Mammootty as Sethurama Iyer, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer in the title role. The s ...
'', ''
Jagratha ''Jagratha: CBI Diary - Part 2'' () is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language mystery thriller film directed by K. Madhu, starring Mammootty, Mukesh and Jagathy Sreekumar. It is the second movie in the CBI investigative thrillers series serving a ...
'' released in the same year. It is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam. In the same year Mammootty joined with
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
, in the movie ''
Mahayanam ''Mahayanam'' is a 1989 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Joshiy and produced by C. T. Rajan, starring Mammootty, Seema, Jalaja and Mukesh. Plot Chandran is a lorry driver who is known for his arrogance and rudeness towards others. On ...
'', which was a critical and commercial success. In 1989, Mammootty appeared as hunter in ''
Mrigayaa ''Mrigayaa'' () is a 1976 Indian Hindi-language period action drama film directed by Mrinal Sen and produced by K. Rajeshwara Rao. Based on ''Shikaar'', an Odia short story by Bhagbati Charan Panigrahi, it stars Mithun Chakraborty and Mamat ...
'', Directed by
I. V. Sasi Irruppam Veedu Sasidaran (28 March 1948 – 24 October 2017) was an Indian film director who made over 110 films predominantly in Malayalam, in addition to Tamil and Hindi languages. In 2015, he was awarded the J. C. Daniel Award, the highest a ...
and written by
A. K. Lohithadas Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (10 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, film maker, and producer who worked in the Malayalam film industry. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a Nationa ...
. The movie was a major success and I.V Sasi won the
Kerala State Award The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
for Best Director. In 1989, Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
for the movies Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigayaa and Mahayanam. In 1990, he starred in ''
Kottayam Kunjachan ''Kottayam Kunjachan'' is a 1990 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by T. S. Suresh Babu and written by Dennis Joseph, loosely based on a novel by Muttathu Varkey. It stars Mammootty in the title role as Kunjachan, with ...
'', an
action comedy film The action comedy is a film genre that applies to action films where humor plays a much more central role. While early films feature stuntwork and humor, academic Cynthia King wrote that the genre only came into its own as a mainstay of the Americ ...
directed by
T. S. Suresh Babu T.S. Suresh Babu is an Indian film director, concentrating mainly on Cinema of Kerala, Malayalam movies. He started his career in the cinema industry by assisting the renowned director P.G. Viswambharan. He started his career as an independent ...
and written by
Dennis Joseph Dennis Joseph (20 October 1957 – 10 May 2021) was an Indian scriptwriter and director known for his work in Malayalam films. He was active during the 1980s and early 1990s. He frequently collaborated with directors Joshiy and Thambi Kannantha ...
. The movie has become one of the highest-grossing film in the year. Mammootty played the role Kunjachan which is a character from the novel Veli written by
Muttathu Varkey Muttathu Varkey (28 April 1913 – 28 May 1989) was an Indian novelist, short story writer, and poet of Malayalam.Mounam Sammadham ''Mounam Sammadham'' () is a 1990 Indian Tamil-language legal thriller film written by S. N. Swamy, directed by K. Madhu and produced by Kovai Chezhiyan. The film stars Mammootty (in his Tamil film debut) and Amala. It revolves around a lawy ...
''. N. Krishnaswamy of ''
The Indian Express ''The Indian Express'' is an English-language Indian daily newspaper founded in 1932 by P. Varadarajulu Naidu. It is headquartered in Noida, owned by the ''Indian Express Group''. It was later taken over by Ramnath Goenka. In 1999, eight y ...
'' wrote, "Mammootty plays the no-nonsense hero in the film with such dignity, poise and grace." Mammootty won Best Actor Award in
National Film Award The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
in 1990 for the movie ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' and ''
Mathilukal ''Mathilukal'' (Malayalam: മതിലുകൾ, meaning ''Walls'') is a Malayalam novel written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer in 1965.P.K.Ajith Kumar"Romantic interlude" ''The Hindu''. 14 May 2010. Theme The theme of the novel, focuses on the ...
''. The film focuses on the prison life of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and the love between him and Narayani, a female inmate of the prison, who remains unseen throughout the film. The movie was critically acclaimed and considered as the best classics of Malayalam Cinema. The movie has won four
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
. When Indian Cinemas Completes 100 Years,
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
included the performance of Mammootty in the list "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Mammootty appeared as Alexander in the 1990 in a
Gangster film A gangster film or gangster movie is a film belonging to a genre that focuses on gangs and organized crime. It is a subgenre of crime film, that may involve large criminal organizations, or small gangs formed to perform certain illegal acts. The ...
'' Samrajyam'', Directed by Jomon with music composed by
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
. The movie has commercially a major success at Kerala and Andhra Pradesh box-office. The movie has run for more than 200 days in Kerala and 400 days in Andhra Pradesh. In 1990, Mammootty was part of '' No.20 Madras Mail'' directed by
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
. Mammootty done a cameo role as himself and
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
was in the lead role.


1991–1994

In 1991, he starred in ''
Amaram ''Amaram'' () is a 1991 Indian Malayalam drama film directed by Bharathan and written by A. K. Lohithadas. It stars Mammootty, Maathu, K. P. A. C. Lalitha, Ashokan, Murali, Chitra, and Kuthiravattam Pappu in the main roles. The film's sc ...
'', directed by
Bharathan Bharathan Parameshwara Menon Palissery (14 November 1946 – 30 July 1998) Known mononymously Bharathan was an Indian people, Indian film maker, artist, and art director. Bharathan is noted for being the founder of a new school of film ma ...
and written by
A. K. Lohithadas Ambazhathil Karunakaran Lohithadas (10 May 1955 – 28 June 2009) was an Indian screenwriter, playwright, film maker, and producer who worked in the Malayalam film industry. In a career spanning over two decades, his films have won a Nationa ...
. Mammootty played the character Achootty, an uneducated fisherman who wants his daughter to be educated and wants her to become a doctor. The role helped Mammootty to grab another Filmfare award for Best actor. In the same year he has done two Tamil films ''
Thalapathi ''Thalapathi'' () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language gangster drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Rajinikanth and Mammootty with Arvind Swamy in his feature-film debut, Jaishankar, ...
'' and
Azhagan ''Azhagan'' () () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Balachander and produced by Kovai Chezhiyan. It stars Mammootty in the lead role with an ensemble supporting cast, including Bhanupriya, Geetha, Madhoo (in her Tam ...
. Both the films were commercially successful. Thalapathi is adaptation from the Hindu Epic,
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kuru ...
. In the same year, Mammootty joined with I.V Sasi for two movies, ''
Inspector Balram ''Inspector Balram'' is a 1991 Malayalam film directed by I. V. Sasi, scripted by T. Damodaran, and starring Mammootty. It is a sequel to the 1986 film '' Aavanazhi'' and was followed by a sequel, '' Balram vs. Taradas'', in 2006. The movie w ...
'' and '' Neelagiri''. Inspector Balram was a sequel to his 1986 film ''
Aavanazhi ''Aavanazhi'' is a 1986 Indian Malayalam-language action film directed by I. V. Sasi, written by T. Damodaran. The film deals with social and political issues of that time. It stars Mammootty, Geetha, Seema, Sukumaran, Captain Raju, Janarda ...
''. The movie was commercially successful. In 1992, he acted with Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan in the action thriller movie '' Kauravar''. Mammootty played the character Putturumees in the movie ''
Soorya Manasam ''Soorya Manasam'' is a 1992 Indian Malayalam-language Drama (film and television), drama film directed by Viji Thampi and written by Sab John. The film stars Mammootty, along with Raghuvaran, Vinodini, Sowcar Janaki, Vaishnavi (Malayali actress) ...
'', who is a mentally challenged man who lives with his mother in a small village. Mammootty was critically acclaimed for the role and the movie is based on 1937 American Novel
Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant worker, migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California ...
by
John Steinbeck John Ernst Steinbeck ( ; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social percep ...
.
Sowcar Janaki Sankaramanchi Janaki (born 12 December 1931), widely known as Sowcar Janaki, is an Indian actress known for her works in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. In a career spanning over seven decades, Janaki has appeared in nearly 390 fil ...
played the mother character. In the same year he acted in movie '' Pappayude Swantham Appoos'', directed and written by Fazil. The movie explores the relationship between a father and son. The film was both commercial and critical success and ran for more than 200 days. Mammootty done his entry to Telugu industry through ''
Swathi Kiranam ''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Radhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Sakshi ...
'' in the year 1992. In 1993, Mammootty joined with
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
for an
Action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...
'' Dhruvam''. It was Vikram debut in Malayalam Cinema. The film was a super hit at the box-office. In the year Mammootty won the
kerala State Film Award for Best Actor The Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1969, presented annually at the Kerala State Film Awards of India to an actor for best performance in a Malayalam cinema, Malayalam film. Until 1997, the awards were managed direct ...
and for the movie
Vatsalyam ''Vatsalyam'' (English: Parental love) is a 1993 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed by Cochin Haneefa and written by A. K. Lohithadas. It stars Mammootty, Siddique, Geetha, Janardhanan, Sunitha, Ilavarasi, Aboobacker, and Kaviyo ...
, directed by
Cochin Haneefa Cochin Haneefa (22 April 1951 – 2 February 2010) was an Indian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He started his career in the 1970s mainly portraying villainous roles, before going on to become one of the most popular comedians of Malay ...
,
Ponthan Mada ''Ponthan Mada'' is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by T. V. Chandran. The film stars Mammootty and Naseeruddin Shah. It is based on two short stories, ''Ponthan Mada'' and ''Sheema Thampuran'' by C. V. Sreeraman. Th ...
directed by T. V. Chandran and
Vidheyan ''Vidheyan'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed and written by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. It is based on the novella ''Bhaskara Pattelarum Ente Jeevithavum'' by Paul Zacharia. The film, starring Mammootty and M. R. Gopakum ...
directed and written by
Adoor Gopalakrishnan Adoor Gopalakrishnan (born 3 July 1941) is an Indian film director, script writer, and producer and is regarded as one of the most notable and renowned filmmakers in India. With the release of his first feature film '' Swayamvaram'' (1972), G ...
. He also won
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film indus ...
for the movie Ponthan Mada and Vidheyan at the same year. In the year Mammootty done a Tamil movie ''
Kilipetchu Ketkava ''Kilipecchu Ketkavaa'' () is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film, directed by Fazil, starring Mammootty and Kanaka. It was released on 13 November 1993. Plot Chidambaram (Mammootty), a poor and newly appointed school teache ...
'', directed by Fazil. Mammootty made his Bollywood debut with the 1993 release
Dhartiputra ''Dhartiputra'' () is a 1993 Hindi-language action film written and directed by Iqbal Durrani. The film stars Mammootty, Rishi Kapoor and Jaya Prada in lead roles with Sujata Mehta, Farah and Nagma Nagma Arvind Morarji (born Nandita Ar ...


1995–1999

In 1995, the combination of the writer
Sreenivasan Sreenivasan (born 6 April 1956) is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, dubbing artist and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema. Sreenivasan has starred in over 225 films. Sreenivasan wrote the screenplays of films such a ...
and director Kamal created the character Nandakumar Varma, who is a college professor in the
romantic drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
''
Mazhayethum Munpe ''Mazhayethum Munpe (Before it Rains)'' is a 1995 Malayalam romantic drama film directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan. The film stars Mammootty, Shobhana and Annie and in the lead roles. The plot is centered upon a college professor ...
''. He acted as an aggressive yet honourable
District Collector The district magistrate, also known as the district collector or deputy commissioner, is a career civil servant who serves as the executive head of a district's administration in India. The specific name depends on the state or union territo ...
Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex IAS in his following release, a
Political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle; high stakes and suspense are the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. Th ...
film '' The King''. It became the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that time. In the same year, he starred in the
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
political thriller A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle; high stakes and suspense are the core of the story. The genre often forces the audiences to consider and understand the importance of politics. Th ...
'' Makkal Aatchi'', directed by
R. K. Selvamani R.K. Selvamani (born 21 October 1965) is an Indian former film director. He is known to make films in the police or whodunit genres. Career Born in Chengalpattu, R. K. Selvamani, an assistant of Manivannan, narrated a story line to Vijayakanth ...
and produced by Thirupur A. Selvaraj under Aarthi International. The film's music was composed by
Ilaiyaraaja Ilaiyaraaja (born R. Gnanathesikan) is an Indian musician, composer, arranger, conductor, orchestrator, multi-instrumentalist, lyricist and playback singer popular for his works in Indian cinema, predominately in Tamil cinema, Tamil in addition ...
. The film was also dubbed in Malayalam as ''Ente Naadu''. The movie was clashed with
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
starrer Muthu at the same time and Mammootty took the lead over Rajinikanth in Tamil Nadu. Mammootty's first Malayalam release of 1996 was
Azhakiya Ravanan ''Azhakiya Ravanan'' (Handsome Ravanan) is a 1996 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy-drama film directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan. The film has an ensemble cast of Mammootty, Bhanupriya, Sreenivasan, Innocent, Biju Me ...
, a
Romantic Drama Romance films involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion (emotion), passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their ...
directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan. The next film he acted in was ''
Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
'' written and directed by Siddique. The film was remade in several languages. The film was a commercial success at the box office and was the highest grossing Malayalam movie, breaking his own movie record The King at that time. The movie has run over 300 days in theatres. He also did a direct Telugu movie in the same year Surya Putrulu, directed by C. Umamaheswara Rao. The film was a moderate success at the box office. In 1997 Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in Filmfare Awards for the performance in the movie
Bhoothakkannadi ''Bhoothakkannadi'' (English:''Magnifying glass'') is a 1997 Malayalam psychological drama film written and directed by A. K. Lohithadas in his directorial debut. It tells the story of Vidyadharan (Mammootty), a clockmaker, and his inability to d ...
, directed by Lohithadas. It is considered as one of the finest performance in the actor career. In an interview, Mammootty revealed that he want to direct the movie with
Rajinikanth Shivaji Rao Gaikwad (born 12 December 1950), known professionally as Rajinikanth, is an Indian actor who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. In a career spanning over five decades, he has done 170 films that includes films in Tamil, Hindi, ...
in lead. In the same year Mammootty done two Tamil films
Pudhayal ''Pudhayal'' () is a 1997 Indian Tamil-language heist adventure film directed by Selva. The film stars Mammootty, Arvind Swamy and Sakshi Shivanand. The score and soundtrack were composed by Vidyasagar. It was released on 30 January 1997, and ...
, directed by
Selva Selva may refer to: People *Selva (surname) *Selva (name) *Selva (actor), Indian actor *Selva (director), Indian director Places *Selva (comarca), a coastal comarca (county) in Catalonia, Spain *Selva, Mallorca (pop. 3,055), a municipality on Mal ...
and Arasiyal, directed by
R. K. Selvamani R.K. Selvamani (born 21 October 1965) is an Indian former film director. He is known to make films in the police or whodunit genres. Career Born in Chengalpattu, R. K. Selvamani, an assistant of Manivannan, narrated a story line to Vijayakanth ...
. In 1998, Mammootty played the role of an IPS officer in the investigation thriller film
The Truth The Truth may refer to: Film * ''The Truth'' (1920 film) starring Madge Kennedy * ''The Truth'' (1960 film) or ''La Vérité'', a French film by Henri-Georges Clouzot starring Brigitte Bardot * ''The Truth'' (1988 film), a Hong Kong trial cri ...
, written by S. N. Swamy and directed by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
. He played the lead role in
Oru Maravathoor Kanavu ''Oru Maravathoor Kanavu'' is a 1998 Indian Malayalam film, Malayalam comedy-drama musical film directed by Lal Jose and written by Sreenivasan. It stars Mammootty, Biju Menon, Mohini (Tamil actress), Mohini, Divya Unni, Sreenivasan, Kalabhavan ...
, which was the directorial debut of
Lal Jose Lal Jose is an Indian director, actor, producer, and distributor who works in the Malayalam film industry. He started his career as an Assistant director in the Malayalam cinema. His directorial debut was with the 1998 film '' Oru Maravat ...
in 1998. In the same year, he starred in
Harikrishnans ''Harikrishnans'' is a 1998 Indian Malayalam-language mystery buddy comedy film written and directed by Fazil. The film was produced and distributed by Suchitra Mohanlal under the production company Pranavam Arts, starring Mohanlal and Mammo ...
, co-starring
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
and
Juhi Chawla Juhi Chawla Mehta ( Chawla; born 13 November 1967) is an Indian actress. She established herself as one of the leading actresses of Hindi cinema from the late 1980s through the early 2000s. Recognised for her comic timing and vivacious on-screen ...
. The movie has two climaxes, and
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
was supposed to do a pivotal role, but didn't happen for unknown reasons. in the same year, Mammootty done a guest appearance in the
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
movie
Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...
, directed by G. V. Iyer. In 1999, Mammootty won the Best Actor in National Film Awards for the movie
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Bhīmrāo Rāmjī Āmbēḍkar; 14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on t ...
, directed by
Jabbar Patel Dr. Jabbar Patel (born 23 June 1942) is a former paediatrician and a Marathi-language theatre and film director of India. His production of Vijay Tendulkar's play Ghashiram Kotwal, in 1973 is considered a classic in Modern Indian Theatre. ...
. The performance is considered as one of the finest one in his career. The movie is produced by National Film Development Corporation. Mammootty joined with
Priyadarshan Priyadarshan Soman Nair (born 30 January 1957) is an Indian film director and screenwriter. He has worked primarily in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam and Hindi cinema, Hindi cinema since 1982, directing over 90 films in multiple Indian languages, ...
in the same year for the movie
Megham ''Megham'' () is a 1999 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film directed by Priyadarshan, written by T. Damodaran, produced by Suresh Balaje and distributed by Mohanlal through Pranavam Movies. It stars Mammootty, Dileep, Priya Gill, Pooja ...
, which is a commercial success.


2000–2009

In 2000, Mammootty did a cameo role in '' Narasimham'', in which
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
did the main role. The movie was a huge success at the boxoffice. With the huge success of Narasimham, director
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
, joined with Mammootty in the same year for another action drama ''
Valliettan ''Valyettan'' ( Elder brother) is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language action drama film directed by Shaji Kailas and scripted by Ranjith. It stars Mammootty, Shobana, Sai Kumar, N. F. Varghese, Siddique and Manoj K Jayan. the film is about an ...
''. The movie was also a huge success in box office. 2000 was one of the best year for the actor in box office performance, after the huge success of Narasimham and Valliettan, Mammootty continued the success with the movies
Dada Sahib ''Dada Sahib'' is a 2000 Malayalam-language political action drama film co-written and directed by Vinayan, starring Mammootty in dual roles as a father and son. He played the roles of Dada Sahib, of the Indian independence movement and his son ...
and Tamil movie ''
Kandukondain Kandukondain ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'' (also released internationally as ''I Have Found It'') is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon. Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel ''Sense and Sensibility'', i ...
'', co-starring
Ajith Kumar Ajith Kumar Subramaniam (born 1 May 1971) is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 63 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Ta ...
and
Aishwarya Rai Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (; Rai; born 1 November 1973) is an Indian actress who is primarily known for her work in Hindi and Tamil language, Tamil films. Rai won the Miss World 1994 pageant and later established herself as one of the most-popu ...
. Both movies were blockbuster in box office. Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Times G ...
in 2000 for his performance in ''
Arayannangalude Veedu ''Arayannangalude Veedu'' () is a 2000 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by A. K. Lohithadas. The film stars Mammootty in the lead role with Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Devan, Oduvil Unnikrishnan, Siddique, Jomol ...
''. He continued his box office reign in 2001 too. In the year, he began with '' Rakshasa Rajavu'', directed by
Vinayan T. G. Vinayakumar, professionally credited as Vinayan, is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and lyricist, who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and occasionally in Tamil cinema. He has directed 40 Malayalam films and 4 Tami ...
. The movie was a huge success in box office. He has done the lead role in N. Lingusamy directorial debut ''
Aanandham ''Aanandham'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Drama (film and television), drama film co-written and directed by N. Lingusamy in his directoral debut and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film features an ensemble cast includi ...
'' in the same year. The movie was a commercial and critical success. In 2003, Mammootty played Sathyaprathapan, a bachelor in
romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
Drama Film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...
''
Chronic Bachelor ''Chronic Bachelor'' is a 2003 Indian Malayalam-language romantic comedy drama film, written and directed by Siddique. It is about the life of Sathyaprathapan, a bachelor. It features Mammootty, Mukesh, Rambha, Indraja, Bhavana, Innocent, L ...
'', directed by Siddique. The film received positive reviews and became a commercial success at the box office. Mammootty also acted in '' Pattalam'', by director
Lal Jose Lal Jose is an Indian director, actor, producer, and distributor who works in the Malayalam film industry. He started his career as an Assistant director in the Malayalam cinema. His directorial debut was with the 1998 film '' Oru Maravat ...
, in which he plays an Indian Army officer, Major Pattabhiraman. The movie made an average performance in the box office. In 2004, he acted in the third instalment of '' CBI'', ''
Sethurama Iyer CBI ''Sethurama Iyer CBI'' is a 2004 Indian Malayalam-language mystery crime film directed by K. Madhu and written by S. N. Swamy. It stars Mammootty in the title role, alongside Mukesh and Jagathy Sreekumar in supporting roles. Shyam composed ...
''. The movie has become the second highest-grossing movie of the year. Mammootty won
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
and Filmfare awards for Best Actor for the performance in the movie ''Kaazhcha''. The movie was the directorial debut of Blessy. The movie got many critical receptions from all over. In the same year he appeared as a police officer in Ranjith (director), Ranjith movie ''Black (2004 film), Black''. The movie was a box office hit. After this action film, he appeared as a family man in ''Vesham'', who sacrifice his life for his younger brother. 2005 was one of the best year for the actor in both box office and in performance. He was seen in never seen characters in the movies like ''Thommanum Makkalum'', ''Thaskaraveeran (2005 film), Thaskaraveeran'' and ''Rajamanikyam''. In this, Rajamanikyam was industry hit. The movie has created and broke many records in the box office. The actor was seen in a never seen character. Other releases were ''Rappakal'', ''Nerariyan CBI'' which is the fourth instalment of ''
CBI (film series) ''CBI Film Franchise'' is an Indian Malayalam-language film series of mystery films directed by K. Madhu and written by S. N. Swamy featuring Mammootty as Sethurama Iyer, a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer in the title role. The s ...
'' and ''Bus Conductor (film), Bus Conductor''. These movies all made money in box office. The characters in each film were different in each others. The actor was totally controlling the box office in the year. In 2006, the actor continues his performance in box office and was utmost care in choosing the character. Mammootty started the year with action comedy film ''Thuruppugulan (2006 film), Thuruppugulan'', which was a super hit in box office. The next release was '' Balram vs. Tharadas'', which was the sequel of '' Athirathram'' and ''
Inspector Balram ''Inspector Balram'' is a 1991 Malayalam film directed by I. V. Sasi, scripted by T. Damodaran, and starring Mammootty. It is a sequel to the 1986 film '' Aavanazhi'' and was followed by a sequel, '' Balram vs. Taradas'', in 2006. The movie w ...
''. Katrina Kaif played the female lead in the movie and the only Malayalam movie she acted. At the end of the year actor changed to do off-beat movies such as ''Karutha Pakshikal'' and Palunku. The actor was nominated in the National Awards for Best actor at the year. He won the Best Actor in Filmfare Awards for the movie Karutha Pakshikal. He started 2007 with the off-beat film ''Kaiyoppu''. Then he back with the comedy action film ''Mayavi (2007 film), Mayavi'', directed by Shafi (director), Shafi. The movie became the highest grosser in the state in the year. The next was ''Big B (film), Big B'', which was the directorial debut of Amal Neerad. The movie was an average grosser in box office but still manages to completes more than 100 days in Kerala box office. After the release of the DVD of the movie the movie got many appreciation for the cinematography and editing. The movie redefined how to make a mass action movie to be made in Mollywood. Mammootty won the appreciation for the slow-motion walking and the background music is still trending. In the year the actor shown his box office and performance power in the movie ''Katha Parayumpol''. He done an extended cameo role in the movie. The movie was remade in three languages, ''Kuselan'' in Tamil, ''Billu Barber'' in Hindi and ''Kathanayakudu (2008 film), Kathanayakudu''. All the remakes failed in the respective box office. Mammootty was appraised for his performance in the movie. He begin 2008 with action film ''Roudram'', directed by Renji Panicker. Mammootty joined with Anwar Rasheed after the industrial hit ''Rajamanikyam''. This time for the comedy action movie ''Annan Thampi''. The movie was a superhit in the boxoffice. The movie done a huge business all over. Telegu rights has sold for a record price until that time. His next releases were ''Parunthu'', ''Mayabazar (2008 film), Mayabazar''. He done a cameo role in ''One Way Ticket (2008 film), One Way Ticket'' in which Prithviraj Sukumaran done the lead role. These movies didn't done any boxoffice wonders. After that he did the lead role in the biggest multistar movie in Malayalam ''Twenty:20 (film), Twenty:20'', directed by
Joshiy Joshiy (born 18 July 1952) is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works predominantly in Malayalam cinema and also directed Tamil language, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu language, Telugu and Kannada-language films. Joshiy made his directorial ...
. In 2009, he done the all time blocbuster Historical drama, epic period drama film ''Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (film), Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja'', written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair Madath Thekkepaattu Vasudevan Narayanan Nair (15 July 1933 – 25 December 2024) was an Indian author, lecturer, Screenwriter, screenplay writer and film director. He was a prolific and versatile writer in modern Malayalam literature, and was o ...
and directed by Hariharan. the film has collected around 49cr in box office. He also done performance oriented movies like ''Kerala Cafe'' and '' Paleri Manikyam''. He won Best Actor Award in both Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for the movie Paleri Manikyam. In the same year he done the action comedy film ''Chattambinadu'', another performance oriented movie ''Loudspeaker (2009 film), Loudspeaker'' and the directorial debut of Aashiq Abu, ''Daddy Cool (2009 Malayalam film), Daddy Cool''. These movie has done Hit status in boxoffice.


2010–2019

In the year 2010, Mammootty acted in the films ''Drona 2010'', directed by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
, ''Yugapurushan'', directed by R. Sukumaran, ''Pramaani'', directed by B. Unnikrishnan, ''Pokkiri Raja (2010 film), Pokkiri Raja'', the directorial debut of Vysakh Abraham, ''Kutty Srank'', directed by Shaji N. Karun, ''
Pranchiyettan & the Saint ''Pranchiyettan & the Saint'' is a 2010 Indian Malayalam-language satirical comedy film written, directed, and produced by Ranjith. The film centres on the fictitious conversation between the Thrissur-based businessman C. E. Francis, a.k.a. Pr ...
'', directed by Ranjith, ''Best of Luck (2010 film), Best of Luck'', directed by M. A. Nishad and ''Best Actor (film), Best Actor'', Martin Prakkat's debut film. His films ''August 15 (2011 film), August 15'', directed by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
, ''Doubles (2011 film), Doubles'', directed by Sohan Seenulal, ''The Train (2011 film), The Train'', directed by Jayaraj, ''Bombay March 12'', directed by Babu Janardhanan and ''Venicile Vyaapari'', directed by Shafi (director), Shafi appeared in 2011. In 2012, his films included: ''The King & the Commissioner'', directed by
Shaji Kailas Shaji Kailas (born 8 February 1965) is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Malayalam cinema. Shaji got a breakthrough with the comedy film '' Dr. Pasupathy'' (1990). He is best known for his action films with main ...
, the Kannada-Malayalam bilingual film ''Shikari (2012 film), Shikari'' directed by Abhaya Simha, ''Cobra (2012 film), Cobra'', directed by Lal (actor), Lal, ''Thappana'', directed by Johny Antony, ''Jawan of Vellimala'', directed by Anoop Kannan, (Mammootty produced the film), ''Face2Face (2012 Malayalam film), Face to Face'', directed by V. M. Vinu and ''Bavuttiyude Namathil'', directed by G. S. Vijayan. His first films released in 2013 were ''Kammath & Kammath'', directed by Thomson and ''Immanuel (film), Immanuel'', directed by
Lal Jose Lal Jose is an Indian director, actor, producer, and distributor who works in the Malayalam film industry. He started his career as an Assistant director in the Malayalam cinema. His directorial debut was with the 1998 film '' Oru Maravat ...
. Later, he went on to appear in ''Kadal Kadannoru Mathukkutty'', directed by Ranjith (director), Ranjith, which was released for Ramzan season, ''Kunjananthante Kada'', directed by Salim Ahamed and ''Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus'', directed by G. Marthandan. His next release was ''Silence (2013 film), Silence'', directed by V. K. Prakash. He acted in ''Balyakalasakhi (2014 film), Balyakalasakhi'', directed by Pramod Payyannur, ''Praise the Lord (film), Praise the Lord'', directed by Shibu Gangadharan and ''Gangster (2014 film), Gangster'', directed by Aashiq Abu in the first half of 2014. He also acted in: ''Manglish (film), Manglish'', directed by Salam Bappu, ''Munnariyippu'', directed by Venu (cinematographer), Venu, ''RajadhiRaja'', directed by debutant Ajai Vasudev and '' Varsham'', directed by Ranjith Sankar. Mammootty received critical praise for his portrayal of C.K. Raghavan in ''Munnariyippu'', while ''Sify'' called ''RajadhiRaja'' "a genuine hit for Mammootty after a long time". Nicy V.P. of ''International Business Times'' wrote: "''Varsham'' is a movie worth investing your time and money." His 2015 releases were ''Fireman (film), Fireman'', directed by Deepu Karunakaran, ''Bhaskar the Rascal'', directed by Siddique, a commercial success, ''Acha Dhin'', directed by Marthandan. ''Utopiayile Rajavu'', directed by Kamal and ''
Pathemari Pathemari () is a 2015 Indian Malayalam-language period drama film written and directed by Salim Ahamed and starring Mammootty in the lead role, with a supporting cast that includes Jewel Mary, Siddique, Sreenivasan, Salim Kumar, Shaheen Sidd ...
'', directed by Salim Ahamed. He acted in ''Puthiya Niyamam'' alongside Nayanthara directed by A. K. Sajan in the first half of 2016. He also acted in Kasaba (2016 film), Kasaba directed by debutant director Nithin Renji Paniker. His next releases for the year was White (2016 film), ''White'' directed by Uday Ananthan and ''Thoppil Joppan'', directed by Johny Antony marking their fourth collaboration. In 2017, his first release was ''The Great Father'' directed by debutant Haneef Adeni. He was then seen in ''Puthan Panam'' directed by Ranjith (director), Ranjith, ''Pullikkaran Staraa'' directed by Syamdhar and Masterpiece (2017 film), ''Masterpiece'' directed by Ajay Vasudev, Ajai Vasudev. In 2018, he acted in Parole (2018 film), ''Parole'' directed by debutant Sharrath Sandith. He has then seen in Uncle (2018 film), ''Uncle'' written by Joy Mathew and directed by debutant Girish Damodar. His next release was ''Abrahaminte Santhathikal'', a crime thriller directed by debutant Shaji Padoor. His last release for the year was ''Oru Kuttanadan Blog'' directed and written by Sachi-Sethu, Sethu. In 2018, he acted in critically acclaimed Tamil movie ''Peranbu'' directed by Ram (director), Ram. It was selected for International Film Festival Rotterdam, Rotterdam Film Festival, Shanghai International Film Festival and International Film Festival of India. His role of single parent Amudhavan who struggles with raising his Spastic cerebral palsy, spastic girl child, Paapa was well appreciated by critics. His first release of 2019 was ''
Madhura Raja ''Madhura Raja'' () is a 2019 Indian Malayalam-language action comedy film directed by Vysakh, written by Udaykrishna and starring Mammootty, Jagapathi Babu and Jai alongside Anusree, Siddique, Nedumudi Venu, Vijayaraghavan, Salim Kumar, M ...
'', a spin-off to the 2010 film ''Pokkiri Raja (2010 film), Pokkiri Raja'' directed by Vysakh. It becomes the best-grossing film in Mammootty's career. His next release was ''
Unda Unda or UNDA may refer to: * Unda (genus), a genus of Amoebozoa * Unda (plural "undae"), a term for an extraterrestrial dune field * Unda (organization), the International Catholic Association for Radio and Television which was merged with OCIC t ...
'' directed by Khalid Rahman in which he played the role of a Sub-inspector of Police who led the team of a police unit for state election duty in a Maoist prone area in Chhattisgarh. He was then seen in an extended cameo in the film ''Pathinettam Padi'' directed by Shanker Ramakrishnan, Shankar Ramakrishnan. Later in the year, Mammootty was in the historical drama ''Mamangam (2019 film), Mamangam'' directed by M. Padmakumar, which is based on the historical Mamankam festival in the banks of the Bharathappuzha. He was also in Ramesh Pisharody's ''Ganagandharvan'' in which he plays a ‘ganamela’ singer named Kalasadhan Ullas and Ajay Vasudev, Ajai Vasudev's Shylock (2019 film), ''Shylock''. After two decades, Mammootty returned to Telugu cinema in 2019 with the biopic ''Yatra (2019 film), Yatra'' which is based on former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, YS Rajasekhar Reddy directed by Mahi V. Raghav, Mahi Raghav.


2020–present

In 2021, He starred in ''The Priest (2021 film), The Priest'', directed by Jofin T. Chacko featuring Manju Warrier marking her first collaboration with Mammootty. He then starred in the political thriller ''One (2021 film), One'', directed by Santhosh Vishwanath. He played Kadakkal Chandran, Chief Minister of Kerala in the film. In 2022, He starred in ''
Bheeshma Parvam ''Bheeshma Parvam'' () is a 2022 Indian Malayalam-language action thriller film produced, written, and directed by Amal Neerad. The film stars Mammootty in the lead role along with a supporting cast of Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Shine Tom ...
'' directed by Amal Neerad, which received positive responses and was a blockbuster. He then starred in ''CBI 5: The Brain'', which emerged as a box office success. He appeared in ''Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'' received highly critical acclaim for his role which won him the Kerala State Film Awards, Kerala State Award for the Best Actor. In 2023, he acted in the Telugu movie Agent (film), ''Agent'' starring Akhil Akkineni.


Films in other languages

He has acted in Tamil films for directors including K. Balachander's (''
Azhagan ''Azhagan'' () () is a 1991 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by K. Balachander and produced by Kovai Chezhiyan. It stars Mammootty in the lead role with an ensemble supporting cast, including Bhanupriya, Geetha, Madhoo (in her Tam ...
''), Mani Ratnam's (''Thalapathi, Thalapathy''), Fazil's (''Kilipetchu Ketkava, Kilippechu Kekkavaa''), N. Linguswamy's (''
Aanandham ''Aanandham'' () is a 2001 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Drama (film and television), drama film co-written and directed by N. Lingusamy in his directoral debut and produced by R. B. Choudary. The film features an ensemble cast includi ...
''),
R. K. Selvamani R.K. Selvamani (born 21 October 1965) is an Indian former film director. He is known to make films in the police or whodunit genres. Career Born in Chengalpattu, R. K. Selvamani, an assistant of Manivannan, narrated a story line to Vijayakanth ...
's ('' Makkal Aatchi''), Marumalarchi Bharathi's (''Maru Malarchi, Marumalarchi'') and ''Ethirum Puthirum'' and Rajiv Menon (''
Kandukondain Kandukondain ''Kandukondain Kandukondain'' (also released internationally as ''I Have Found It'') is a 2000 Indian Tamil-language romantic musical film directed and co-written by Rajiv Menon. Based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel ''Sense and Sensibility'', i ...
'') (2000). He played Anantha Sharma in K. Viswanath's Telugu film ''
Swathi Kiranam ''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Radhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Sakshi ...
'' (1992).


Other work

During the 1980s, Mammootty was the co-owner of a production company, Casino, along with
Mohanlal Mohanlal Viswanathan (; born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor and filmmaker who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeared in Tamil cinema, Tamil, Hin ...
, I.V. Sasi, Seema (actress), Seema and Century Kochumon. The films it produced included ''Nadodikkattu'' (1987), ''Gandhinagar 2nd Street'' (1986), ''Adiyozhukkukal'' and ''Karimpin Poovinakkare''. He formed a television production company, Megabytes, which produced serial (radio and television), television serials, the first being ''Jwalayay'' in the late 1990s, which was also his first project as a Television producer, producer. Mammootty also owns a distribution company named Mammootty Technotainment. He is the owner of Playhouse since 2009, a company which primarily distributes films he has starred in. It has since ventured into film production, with ventures including the ''Jawan of Vellimala'' and ''Street Lights''. As of 2010, he is the Chair (official), chairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs some Malayalam TV channels such as
Kairali TV Kairali TV is an Indian Malayalam-language general entertainment free-to-air television channel owned by PTC Network via holding company G-Next Media Pvt Ltd . It is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram. It was launched on 17 August 2000. Hist ...
, Kairali News and Channel We. In 2021, he founded another production company, the Mammootty Kampany, which produced the films ''Rorschach (film), Rorschach'' (2022) and ''Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam'' (2022). He has stated he has no political ambitions. In 2007, Mammootty published his first book, ''Kazhchapadu'' (roughly translated as "Perspective"), a compilation of short essays he had written in various publications over the years. That year, he and Dubai-based businessman M A Yousuf Ali, MA Yousuf Ali lobbied for the proposed SmartCity, Kochi, Smart City project at
Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...
with officials of the Dubai Internet City (DIC). In August 2021, Mammootty received the UAE Golden Visa.


Philanthropic and social causes

Mammootty is a patron of the Pain and Palliative Care Society, a Charitable organization, charitable organisation in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, that aims to improve the quality of people in advanced stages of cancer. He has been working with the Pain and Palliative Care Centre situated in Kozhikode, India. In 2018, he put forth a project to provide the pain and palliative care to those suffering from cancer throughout Kerala. He is also a patron of the Care and Share International Foundation, a charity organisation aimed at reducing societal inequality. Among its endeavours, the foundation mobilised financial help for the heart surgeries of children with the ''Hridaya Sparsham'' project. A fundraiser over social networking sites supported by Mammootty raised about 1 crore within a day. Mammootty is the goodwill ambassador of the charity project Street India Movement, which lists the elimination of child begging and child labour among its goals. He has promoted the activities of the movement, which coordinates with orphanages and institutions looking after the children. He is also goodwill ambassador for Akshaya project, Akshaya, the information technology dissemination project of the
Government of Kerala The Government of Kerala (abbreviated as GoK), also known as the Kerala Government, is the administrative body responsible for governing the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. The government is led by a chief minister, who ...
. He formally took over the role on 26 February 2006 at a video-telecasted programme that was linked to all district headquarters of the state. He also promotes the anti-drug campaign Addicted to Life, launched by the Government of Kerala and affiliated with the Kerala State Beverages Corporation, which aims to eradicate drugs and alcohol usage among people, especially the youth. In August 2014, Mammootty launched the My Tree Challenge, modelled after the Ice Bucket Challenge, which purports to encourage others to plant saplings, as the rules dictate that they should if challenged. The challenge was created by Abdul Manaf, an entrepreneur, and Imthias Kadeer, a travel photographer. Mammootty challenged Mohanlal and
Shah Rukh Khan Shah Rukh Khan (; born 2 November 1965), also known by the initialism SRK, is an Indian actor and film producer who works in Hindi cinema. Referred to in the media as the "Padishah, Baadshah of Bollywood" and "King Khan", he has Shah Rukh K ...
to take up the challenge. Kazhcha, organised by Mammootty Fans Welfare Association and Mammootty Times, in association with Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre and the Eye Bank Association of
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, is a venture to extend free eye care and treatment. One of the major activities related to this is the distribution of free spectacles to children. A special fund received from the office of the President of India will be utilised for this purpose. Free eye camps will also be conducted at various places in connection with this project.


Media image and artistry

Mammootty has been described in the Indian media as one of the most versatile actors. Unlike other Indian film industries, which saw the emergence of superstars that commanded a great degree of fame and stardom post-Indian independence, Malayalam cinema historically focused on stories that dealt with the lives of ordinary people, and did not generally have superstars, with the possible exception of
Prem Nazir Prem Nazir (born Abdul Khader; 6 April 1926 – 16 January 1989) was an Indian actor known as one of Malayalam cinema's definitive leading man, leading men of his generation. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the hist ...
. This changed in the 1980s with the growing popularity of Mammootty and Mohanlal. Sreedhar Pillai of ''India Today'' wrote in December 1988, "So impregnable is their hold over the industry today that new films are launched only if they have the time." In 2005, films starring Mammootty, Mohanlal and Dileep (actor), Dileep accounted for 97 per cent of the box office revenue of Malayalam cinema. ''The Hindu'' wrote that "Malayalam cinema revolves around them and scripts are written keeping their age and image in mind", they played larger-than-life characters with distinctive style of attire, dialogues, dance, and fight sequences. During the 2006 IIFA Awards ceremony held at Dubai, he openly criticised the organizers of the IIFA Awards for completely ignoring South Indian film by stating that the
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
film industry should stand up to competition from the South Indian film industry before calling itself international. Mammootty's performance in ''Mathilukal'' was listed among the "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Cinema of India, Indian Cinema" by ''Forbes India'' on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema. His performance in ''Munnariyippu'' is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" by ''Film Companion''. Mammootty was appointed as the brand ambassador of the Thrissur-based South Indian Bank on 16 October 2006. He was also featured as the brand ambassador for Kerala Volleyball League.


Filmography


Discography


Accolades

Mammootty has won three
National Film Awards The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
, seven
Kerala State Film Awards The Kerala State Film Awards are the film awards for a motion picture made in Kerala. The awards started in 1969 by the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala and since 1998 the awards have been bestowed by Kerala State Cha ...
, fourteen Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare Awards, eleven
Kerala Film Critics Awards The Kerala Film Critics Association Awards are presented annually by the Kerala Film Critics Association to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Malayalam language film industry of India. The awards were instit ...
and five Asianet Film Awards (from fourteen nominations). In 1998, the government of India honoured Mammootty with its fourth highest civilian award,
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
for his contribution to the Indian film industry. He was conferred with the Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Calicut and the University of Kerala in 2010. In 2022, he was the honoured with Kerala Awards, Kerala Prabha, the second-highest award given by the Government of Kerala.


National Film Awards

* 1999:
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performance in a leading role within the Indian film indus ...
for ''
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (Bhīmrāo Rāmjī Āmbēḍkar; 14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who chaired the committee that drafted the Constitution of India based on t ...
'' * 1994: National Film Award for Best Actor for ''
Vidheyan ''Vidheyan'' () is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language drama film directed and written by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. It is based on the novella ''Bhaskara Pattelarum Ente Jeevithavum'' by Paul Zacharia. The film, starring Mammootty and M. R. Gopakum ...
'' and ''
Ponthan Mada ''Ponthan Mada'' is a 1994 Indian Malayalam-language film written and directed by T. V. Chandran. The film stars Mammootty and Naseeruddin Shah. It is based on two short stories, ''Ponthan Mada'' and ''Sheema Thampuran'' by C. V. Sreeraman. Th ...
'' * 1989: National Film Award for Best Actor for ''
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha ''Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha'' (), credited internationally as ''A Northern Story of Valor'', is a subplot of Vadakkan Pattukal, a medieval ballad from North Malabar and is often regarded as a classic in Malayalam cinema. The film won four Nation ...
'' and ''
Mathilukal ''Mathilukal'' (Malayalam: മതിലുകൾ, meaning ''Walls'') is a Malayalam novel written by Vaikom Muhammad Basheer in 1965.P.K.Ajith Kumar"Romantic interlude" ''The Hindu''. 14 May 2010. Theme The theme of the novel, focuses on the ...
''


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 1951 births Living people Male actors from Kerala Film people from Kerala Film producers from Kerala Television personalities from Kerala Male actors from Kottayam Maharaja's College, Ernakulam alumni Male actors in Hindi cinema Male actors in Kannada cinema Male actors in Malayalam cinema Male actors in Tamil cinema Male actors in Telugu cinema Indian male film actors Malayalam film producers Indian television producers Indian television presenters Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Best Actor National Film Award winners Kerala State Film Award winners Filmfare Awards South winners Kerala Film Critics Awards winners 20th-century Indian male actors 21st-century Indian male actors 20th-century Indian businesspeople 21st-century Indian businesspeople Kerala Prabha Award Winners Artists from Kerala Indian Muslims