4 min readFeb 13, 2026 01:23 PM IST
First published on: Feb 12, 2026 at 05:03 PM IST
Malayalam film superstar Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail, popularly known as Mammootty, has recently been conferred the Padma Bhushan by the Union government. Many feel this is a belated recognition for the actor. However, it is noteworthy because it comes during a very special phase in his career and will hopefully inspire many others to be as unconventional as he has been in some of his most recent Malayalam films.
Mammootty is a rare mix of acting competence and mass adulation. There are umpteen examples to suggest that the biggest or most popular actors are not necessarily the most consummate on-screen performers. But fandom works in strange ways. Audiences shower their love on an actor for a variety of reasons: Their screen image, portrayal of larger-than-life roles and other behavioural attributes.
Mammootty is different in every possible way. Even after having successfully worked across the Southern film industries, it is difficult to place him into a category. Who can forget his early performances in Yavanika (1982) or Vidheyan (1994)? However, what makes Mammootty peerless is his lack of complacency and a constant urge to reinvent himself.
In Kalamkaval (2025), Mammootty plays a cop who is a serial killer. He is detestable in his portrayal of a maniac who targets young, unsuspecting women. In Kaathal (2023), he plays a closeted gay man who appears to be living a perfect family life with his wife and daughter until his wife decides to break the façade.
There’s also Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022), where he plays Joseph, who walks into a remote village in Tamil Nadu and begins to act like a member of the village, setting off a strange series of almost surreal encounters. There are many others – Bramayugam (2024), Kannur Squad (2023), Puzhu (2022), Unda (2019).
All very non-superstar-like characters and one completely different from the other. Most importantly, several of these films are also produced by Mammootty. So, this is not a case of a superstar supporting a one-off project to display his acting prowess. This indicates a sustained commitment towards good cinema. For those who don’t know, Mammootty has just begun shooting a new film with Malayalam cinema maestro and one of India’s most celebrated filmmakers, Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Named Padayatra, this film also marks their reunion after 32 years.
Through his artistic choices, Mammootty has rewritten the template and broken the rules of superstardom. His recent choices indicate that a superstar is an actor first. It also raises the question: Why should superstars be trapped in an image? Imagine the encouragement that new films and filmmakers will receive if superstars begin to support projects that dare to tread off the beaten path. In a recent interview, Mammootty said that a director ought to focus only on the story and the character in the film, not on whether the role is written specifically with him in mind. Some may argue that Mammootty is able to make these choices because of his superstardom. Yet, are there other Indian superstars with similar success and popularity experimenting like Mammooty?
His recent choices also reveal an actor who is interested in the craft of acting and filmmaking more than obsessing over his superstar image. Film history will remember Mammootty differently from his contemporaries. Last year, Mammootty turned 74. He has already acted in more than 400 films, but has much more to give. Congratulations, Padma Bhushan Mammootty!
The writer teaches literature and film at FLAME University, Pune
