Mammootty | |
|---|---|
 Mammootty in 2022 | |
| Born | Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (1951-09-07)7 September 1951 (age 74) |
| Alma mater | Sacred Heart College Maharaja's College (BA) Govt. Law College Mahatma Gandhi University (LLB) University of Kerala University of Calicut (D.Litt) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Organization | Mammootty Kampany |
| Works | Full list |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, includingDulquer Salmaan |
| Family | Mammootty family |
| Awards | Full list |
| Honours | Padma Shri (1998) Kerala Prabha (2022) |
| Website | mammootty |
Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known professionally asMammootty ([mɐmːuːʈːi]), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly inMalayalam-language films. With a prolific career spanning over five decades, he has appeared inover 400 films, predominantly in lead roles, across Malayalam,Tamil,Telugu,Kannada,Hindi, andEnglish language s. He is the recipient ofseveral accolades, including threeNational Film Awards, elevenKerala State Film Awards, elevenKerala Film Critics Awards and fifteenFilmfare Awards South. He was honoured with thePadma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award by theGovernment of India in 1998, for his contributions to cinema. He was also honoured with theKerala Prabha Award by theGovernment of Kerala in 2022. Mammootty was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" byCNN.[1]
Mammootty made his screen debut as a junior artiste in the drama filmAnubhavangal Paalichakal (1971). He got his first credited role inM. T. Vasudevan Nair'sVilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980). After playing a few supporting roles, he progressed to lead role in I. V. Sasi's romantic dramaThrishna (1981). He continued to do secondary and lead roles in the following years. By the early to mid 1980's, he established himself a bankable leading actor by starring in several successful films in 1984 and 1985; the crime dramaAthirathram (1984), the action thrillerNirakkoottu (1985) and the romantic dramaYathra (1985) heightened his stardom. Mammootty predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, but has also appeared in other language films. Some of his best known non-Malayalam films include the Tamil gangster drama filmThalapathi (1991), the Tamil romantic dramaKandukondain Kandukondain (2000), the Telugu musical dramaSwathi Kiranam (1992) and the English-Hindi bilingual biopicDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000).
Mammootty has won threeNational Film Awards, sevenKerala State Film Awards, fourteenFilmfare Awards, elevenKerala Film Critics Awards and fiveAsianet Film Awards (from fourteen nominations). In 1998, the government of India honoured Mammootty with its fourth highest civilian award,Padma Shri for his contribution to the Indian film industry.[2][3] He was conferred with theDoctor of Letters degree by theUniversity of Calicut and theUniversity of Kerala in 2010.[4][5] In 2022, he was the honoured withKerala Prabha, the second-highest award given by the Government of Kerala.[6]
Mammootty's life and career have been included in the undergraduate syllabus ofMaharaja's College,Ernakulam's BA History programme, as part of the "History of Malayalam Cinema" course, in recognition of his significant contribution to the film industry.[7] He is the chairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs the Malayalam television channelsKairali TV, Kairali News, and Kairali We. He is the owner of multiple production ventures, including the distribution-production banner, Playhouse, and production company, Mammootty Kampany. 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.
Mammootty was born on 7 September 1951 inChandiroor.[8][9] He was raised in the village ofChempu nearVaikom inKottayam district in the present-day state ofKerala,India in a middle-classMuslim 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.[10][11]
He went to Government High School, Kulasekharamangalam, Kottayam for his primary education.[12] In the 1960s, his father moved the family toKochi, where he attended Government School Ernakulam. He did hispre-university course (pre-degree) atSacred Heart College, Thevara.[13] He attendedMaharaja's College, Ernakulam, for his degree.[14] He graduated with anLL.B. fromGovernment Law College, Ernakulam.[14] He practised law for two years inManjeri.[11][15]
He married Sulfath Kuttyy in 1979 in anarranged marriage. The couple has a daughter Surumi (born 1982), and a sonDulquer Salmaan (born 1983)—also an actor.[16] He resides inKochi with his family. His younger brother, Ibrahimkutty, has also acted inMalayalam films. His nephews,Maqbool Salmaan andAshkar Saudan, are Malayalam film and television actors.[17]
Mammootty made his onscreen debut as an extra inK. S. Sethumadhavan’sAnubhavangal Paalichakal (1971) at the age of 20.[18] He made his second appearance in an uncredited role in the 1973 filmKaalachakram, directed byK. Narayanan. He was cast in a small role as a boatman.[19] It was in this film that he said his first dialogue.[20] In 1975, he acted in the theatre dramaSabarmathi.[21] After his graduation fromMaharaja's college in 1976, Mammootty began his practice as a lawyer inManjeri. During this time, he met his mentor[22]M. T. Vasudevan Nair, who cast him in a pivotal role inDevalokam (1979).[23] 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 inVilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980), directed by Azad and scripted by Nair, his first credited role.[24]
During the filming ofVilkkanundu Swapnangal, Mammootty met and got closer toSreenivasan. WhenK. G. George was looking for a newcomer with a “smart and handsome personality” as a daredevil motorcycle jumper for his filmMela (1980), Sreenivasan suggested Mammooty's name while they were shooting at the Raymon circus atErnakulam.[25]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 filmSphodanam (1981), directed byP. G. Vishwambharan. He was credited as "Sajin" in the film as Vishwanbharan felt that the name "Mammootty" did not suit an actor.[26] The same year, he made his first-ever appearance as a lead actor in the Malayalam filmThrishna (1981), which won theFilmfare Award for Best Film. Later that year, he appeared in a supporting role inI. V. Sasi’s political filmAhimsa (1981), which earned him theKerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor.[27]
The next year, he starred alongsideBharath Gopy in K. G. George's epoch makingYavanika (1982), as a police inspector who is on the search for an unpopular tabla player of a travelling drama group who suddenly disappears.[28]Jijo Punnoose experimented Mammootty in a negative role in the epic period dramaPadayottam (1982).[29] I. V. Sasi cast him in a pivotal role inJohn Jaffer Janardhanan (1982), the Malayalam remake ofManmohan Desai’s Hindi filmAmar Akbar Anthony (1977). He was then cast in a major supporting role in Sasi's political dramaEe Nadu (1982), which was a major commercial success, becoming the highest grossing South Indian film of the year.[30] Mammootty played supporting roles in most of the films released during the year. He had 23 of his films released during the year.[31]
In 1983, he started to transition into leading roles.Balu Kiriyath experimented with Mammootty by casting him as the lead in the comedy dramaVisa, which was declared a hit at the box office.[32] In his next film,Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu, directed by P. G. Vishwambaran, he played the role of alibertine lawyer 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 ofThe Indian Express 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."[33] In 2017,The Times of India described Mammootty's role as one of the "astounding advocate roles he has given life to".[34]Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu is credited with solidifying Mammootty's status as aleading man.[35] He then starred in Vishwambaran'sPinnilavu, 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.[35] He then appeared in a supporting role in K. G. George's controversial classicLekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback. In the film, Mammootty plays the role of a film superstar, a character modelled afterPrem Nazir. On 15 May 1983, Sreedhar Pillai ofIndia Today wrote, "Mammootty, the current rage of the Malayalam screen, successfully apes the mannerisms of fellow actor Prem Nazir in his Prem Sagar role."[36]
He then starred as an antihero in P. Padmarajan's classicKoodevide. 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 ofThe Indian Express 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."[37] His pairing withSuhasini was very successful and was continued in films likeEnte Upasana (1984).Koodevide was also selected for screening in that year's Indian Panorama. It also won theKerala State Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value.[38] He then collaborated with directorJoshiy for the first time forAa Raathri.[39] Despite mixed critical response, it was a commercial success. It had a very successful soundtrack, credited with launchingIlaiyaraaja's Malayalam film career.[40] Critics considerAa 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.[41] Other notable releases of the year were supporting roles in Fazil'sEettillam and I. V. Sasi's politicalIniyenkilum. ReviewingIniyenkilum forIndia Today, Sreedhar Pillai wrote, "Mammootty easily outshines everyone else as the villainous politician."[42]
In 1984, he starred as the smuggler Tharadas in I. V. Sasi'sAthirathram. The film achieved considerable commercial success and the character of Tharadas gained a cult following among the youth. Mammootty, who was considered abankable leading actor was propelled tosuperstardom with the success of the film. Owing to the popularity of the character, it was reprised by Mammootty inBalram vs Tharadas (2006).[43] He then starred in I. V. Sasi'sKanamarayathu, an adaptation of the 1912 novelDaddy-Long-Legs byJean Webster. 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 ofrelationships 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.[44] For his performance as Roy Varghese, Mammootty won his firstKerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor.[45] The film has over the years accumulated acult following and is now considered aclassic in Malayalam cinema.[46] He then starred as a police officer inBharathan'sIthiri Poove Chuvannapoove. The film explores the relationship between a police officer and his younger brother, who becomes aNaxalite. It was a critical success and had a successful soundtrack.[47]
He then appeared in a supporting role in theart house film,Akkare. In the film he portrays anon resident Malayali. The film is a satirical take on the obsession, especially of the middle class of other's lifestyle.[48] He then starred as a vengeful fisherman back from prison in I. V. Sasi'sAdiyozhukkukal. The film was a commercial and critical success. Mammootty won his firstKerala State Film Award for Best Actor and his firstFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam for his performance as Karunan.[38] 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,I. V. Sasi, and Mammootty.[49] He also starred in I. V. Sasi'sAalkkoottathil Thaniye, 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."[50]Aalkkottathil Thaniye, the screenplay was released as a book byDC Books in 2009.[51] 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 wereSandarbham,Koottinilamkili andChakkarayumma. 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.[52]
The following year, he starred in Padmarajan'sThinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam, based on the radio dramaAmmaykku 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 theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam that year. He then starred in I. V. Sasi'sAnubandham, 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 withKarimbinpoovinakkare, 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.[53] The film was a commercial success.[54]
He then, starred as Ravi Varma, a millionaire on death row for killing his wife in Joshiy'sNirakkoottu. The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of that year.[55] The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam film.[56] He then starred as a forest officer who is mistaken for a Naxalite, arrested and jailed for many years in Balu Mahendra's romantic dramaYathra. The film tells a fictional story but is built upon the human rights violations by the police and the prison authorities in India duringthe emergency of 1975–1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. It is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classicThe Yellow Handkerchief.[57] The film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning the Kerala State Film Award forBest Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. It was declared a blockbuster, running for 200 days in theatres,[58] becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year.[59] For his performance, Mammootty won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance inYathra, as well as aSpecial Jury Award for his performances in bothYathra andNirakkoottu.[60][61]
In 1986 alone, he acted in about 35 films, including a brief appearance inMazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu. In 1986, he teamed up withI. V. Sasi for the filmAavanazhi, which was written by T. Damodaran. Mammootty appears in the lead role as Balram, a police officer. BothInspector Balram andBalram 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.[62][63]
Following a series of flops, Mammootty found commercial success with the crime thrillerNew Delhi (1987), directed byJoshiy and written byDennis Joseph.[64] He played G. Krishnamoorthy, a victimised journalist who systematically arranges the killing of politicians who had implicated him under false charges.[65]New Delhi was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film released at that point.[66][67] After its release,Rajinikanth, 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.[68] In the same year, he played Balagopalan, a school teacher who is deemed mad by society owing to a superstitious belief, in the dramaThaniyavarthanam, directed bySibi Malayil and written byA. K. Lohithadas.[69] It won theFilmfare Award for Best Film – Malayalam at the Filmfare Awards South.[70] Mammootty's performance received acclaim from film critics.[71]
In the first of his several releases in 1988, Mammootty appeared in the comedy filmManu Uncle, directed by Dennis Joseph. Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi made cameo appearances in the film.[72][73] It received theNational Film Award for Best Children's Film at the36th National Film Awards.[74][75] Mammootty played an investigator calledSethurama Iyer in another film,Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, which served as the first instalment in the CBI series.[76] The film set box office records both in Kerala andTamil Nadu.[77][78][79] The film's one-year theatrical run in Tamil Nadu continues to remain an all-time record. That year, he also appeared in theSibi Malayil-directedaction filmAugust 1,[80] which was based on the novelThe Day of the Jackal, byFrederick Forsyth.[81] The film's rights were sold in Tamil Nadu for a record-breaking price at the time.[82] Additionally, Mammootty and I. V. Sasi worked together on three projects in the same year: the romantic filmAbkari, the dramaMukthi and the war film1921.[83] In the latter, Mammootty played Khader, aWorld War I veteran who joins theMalabar rebellion. The film, which cost over₹1.2 crore to produce, earned₹2 crore during its theatrical run.[82] In 1988, Mammootty collaborated withJoshiy for two films,Sangham andThanthram.[66]
The following year, Mammootty starred withRahman andShobana in theG. S. Vijayanthriller filmCharithram.[84] The story is adapted from the English movieChase a Crooked Shadow. The story is about the relationship between two brothers.[85] In the same year, he acted in a film which is considered as one of the best crime thriller in Malayalam cinema,Adikkurippu, written byS. N. Swamy and directed byK. Madhu.[85] In 1989, Mammootty starred in the lead asChandu Chekavar, in theepic historical drama filmOru Vadakkan Veeragatha, directed byHariharan and written byM. T. Vasudevan Nair.[86] The movie has won fourNational Film Awards, includingBest Actor(Mammootty),Best Screenplay(M.T Vasudevan Nair),Best Production Design andBest Costume Design(P. Krishnamoorthy). The movie has selected as Best Malayalam Movie inFilmfare Awards, also the movie has won sevenKerala State Film Awards.[87][61] 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.[88] In an online poll conducted in 2013 byIBN Live, as a part of Indian Cinema completing 100 years, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha listed as the third greatest Indian Film of all time.[89] In the same year, Mammootty starred withSukumaran in theMystery-thriller filmUtharam, written byM. T. Vasudevan Nair. The story was based on the short story No Motive byDaphne du Maurier. Utharam is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam cinema.[90][91] Second movie inCBI (film series),Jagratha released in the same year. It is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam.[90] In the same year Mammootty joined withJoshiy, in the movieMahayanam, which was a critical and commercial success.[92] In 1989, Mammootty appeared as hunter inMrigayaa, Directed byI. V. Sasi and written byA. K. Lohithadas. The movie was a major success and I.V Sasi won theKerala State Award for Best Director.[93] In 1989, Mammootty won the Best Actor Award inKerala State Film Awards for the movies Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigayaa and Mahayanam.[61]
In 1990, he starred inKottayam Kunjachan, anaction comedy film directed byT. S. Suresh Babu and written byDennis Joseph.[94] The movie has become one of the highest-grossing film in the year.[95] Mammootty played the role Kunjachan which is a character from the novel Veli written byMuttathu Varkey.[96] Mammootty made his Tamil debut the same year withMounam Sammadham.[97][98][99][100] N. Krishnaswamy ofThe Indian Express wrote, "Mammootty plays the no-nonsense hero in the film with such dignity, poise and grace."[101] Mammootty won Best Actor Award inNational Film Award in 1990 for the movieOru Vadakkan Veeragatha andMathilukal.[102] 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.[103] The movie has won fourNational Film Awards.[102] When Indian Cinemas Completes 100 Years,Forbes included the performance of Mammootty in the list "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[104] Mammootty appeared as Alexander in the 1990 in aGangster filmSamrajyam, Directed byJomon with music composed byIlaiyaraaja.[105] The movie has commercially a major success at Kerala and Andhra Pradesh box-office.[78] The movie has run for more than 200 days in Kerala and 400 days in Andhra Pradesh.[106] In 1990, Mammootty was part ofNo.20 Madras Mail directed byJoshiy. Mammootty done a cameo role as himself andMohanlal was in the lead role.[107]
In 1991, he starred inAmaram, directed byBharathan and written byA. K. Lohithadas. 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.[108] In the same year he has done two Tamil filmsThalapathi andAzhagan. Both the films were commercially successful.[109] Thalapathi is adaptation from the Hindu Epic,Mahabharata.[110] In the same year, Mammootty joined with I.V Sasi for two movies,Inspector Balram andNeelagiri. Inspector Balram was a sequel to his 1986 filmAavanazhi. The movie was commercially successful.[111] In 1992, he acted with Kannada actorVishnuvardhan in the action thriller movieKauravar.[112] Mammootty played the character Putturumees in the movieSoorya Manasam, 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 NovelOf Mice and Men byJohn Steinbeck.[113]Sowcar Janaki played the mother character.[114] In the same year he acted in moviePappayude Swantham Appoos, directed and written byFazil. 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.[115] Mammootty done his entry to Telugu industry throughSwathi Kiranam in the year 1992.[116]
In 1993, Mammootty joined withJoshiy for anAction filmDhruvam. It wasVikram debut in Malayalam Cinema.[117] The film was a super hit at the box-office.[118] In the year Mammootty won thekerala State Film Award for Best Actor and for the movieVatsalyam, directed byCochin Haneefa,Ponthan Mada directed byT. V. Chandran andVidheyan directed and written byAdoor Gopalakrishnan.[119] He also wonNational Film Award for Best Actor for the movie Ponthan Mada and Vidheyan at the same year.[120] In the year Mammootty done a Tamil movieKilipetchu Ketkava, directed byFazil.[121] Mammootty made his Bollywood debut with the 1993 releaseDhartiputra[122]
In 1995, the combination of the writerSreenivasan and directorKamal created the character Nandakumar Varma, who is a college professor in theromantic dramaMazhayethum Munpe.[123][124] He acted as an aggressive yet honourableDistrict Collector Thevalliparambil Joseph AlexIAS in his following release, aPolitical thriller filmThe King. It became the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that time.[125] In the same year, he starred in theTamilpolitical thrillerMakkal Aatchi, directed byR. K. Selvamani and produced by Thirupur A. Selvaraj under Aarthi International. The film's music was composed byIlaiyaraaja. The film was also dubbed in Malayalam asEnte Naadu. The movie was clashed withRajinikanth starrerMuthu at the same time and Mammootty took the lead over Rajinikanth in Tamil Nadu.[109] Mammootty's first Malayalam release of 1996 wasAzhakiya Ravanan, aRomantic Drama directed by Kamal and written by Sreenivasan.[126] The next film he acted in wasHitler written and directed bySiddique. 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.[127] He also did a direct Telugu movie in the same yearSurya Putrulu, directed byC. Umamaheswara Rao. The film was a moderate success at the box office.[128]
In 1997 Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in Filmfare Awards for the performance in the movieBhoothakkannadi, 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 withRajinikanth in lead.[129] In the same year Mammootty done two Tamil filmsPudhayal, directed bySelva andArasiyal, directed byR. K. Selvamani. In 1998, Mammootty played the role of an IPS officer in the investigation thriller filmThe Truth, written byS. N. Swamy and directed byShaji Kailas.[130] He played the lead role inOru Maravathoor Kanavu, which was the directorial debut ofLal Jose in 1998.[131] In the same year, he starred inHarikrishnans, co-starringMohanlal andJuhi Chawla. The movie has two climaxes, andShah Rukh Khan was supposed to do a pivotal role, but didn't happen for unknown reasons.[132] in the same year, Mammootty done a guest appearance in theBollywood movieSwami Vivekananda, directed byG. V. Iyer.[133]
In 1999, Mammootty won the Best Actor in National Film Awards for the movieDr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed byJabbar Patel. The performance is considered as one of the finest one in his career. The movie is produced byNational Film Development Corporation.[134] Mammootty joined withPriyadarshan in the same year for the movieMegham, which is a commercial success.[135]
In 2000, Mammootty did a cameo role inNarasimham, in whichMohanlal did the main role. The movie was a huge success at the boxoffice.[136] With the huge success of Narasimham, directorShaji Kailas, joined with Mammootty in the same year for another action dramaValliettan. The movie was also a huge success in box office.[137] 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 moviesDada Sahib and Tamil movieKandukondain Kandukondain, co-starringAjith Kumar andAishwarya Rai. Both movies were blockbuster in box office.[138][139] Mammootty won the Best Actor Award inFilmfare Awards in 2000 for his performance inArayannangalude Veedu.[140] He continued his box office reign in 2001 too. In the year, he began withRakshasa Rajavu, directed byVinayan. The movie was a huge success in box office.[141] He has done the lead role inN. Lingusamy directorial debutAanandham in the same year. The movie was a commercial and critical success.[99]
In 2003, Mammootty played Sathyaprathapan, a bachelor inromantic comedyDrama FilmChronic Bachelor, directed bySiddique. The film received positive reviews and became a commercial success at the box office.[142] Mammootty also acted inPattalam, by directorLal Jose, in which he plays an Indian Army officer, Major Pattabhiraman. The movie made an average performance in the box office.[143] In 2004, he acted in the third instalment ofCBI,Sethurama Iyer CBI. The movie has become the second highest-grossing movie of the year.[144] Mammootty wonKerala State Film Awards and Filmfare awards for Best Actor for the performance in the movieKaazhcha. The movie was the directorial debut ofBlessy. The movie got many critical receptions from all over.[145] In the same year he appeared as a police officer inRanjith movieBlack. The movie was a box office hit.[145] After this action film, he appeared as a family man inVesham, who sacrifice his life for his younger brother.[146]
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 likeThommanum Makkalum,Thaskaraveeran andRajamanikyam. 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 wereRappakal,Nerariyan CBI which is the fourth instalment ofCBI (film series) andBus 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.[147] 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 filmThuruppugulan, which was a super hit in box office. The next release wasBalram vs. Tharadas, which was the sequel ofAthirathram andInspector Balram.Katrina Kaif played the female lead in the movie and the only Malayalam movie she acted.[148] At the end of the year actor changed to do off-beat movies such asKarutha Pakshikal andPalunku. The actor was nominated in the National Awards for Best actor at the year.[149] He won the Best Actor in Filmfare Awards for the movie Karutha Pakshikal.[150]
He started 2007 with the off-beat filmKaiyoppu. Then he back with the comedy action filmMayavi, directed byShafi. The movie became the highest grosser in the state in the year.[151] The next wasBig B, which was the directorial debut ofAmal 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.[152] In the year the actor shown his box office and performance power in the movieKatha Parayumpol. He done an extended cameo role in the movie. The movie was remade in three languages,Kuselan in Tamil,Billu Barber in Hindi andKathanayakudu. All the remakes failed in the respective box office. Mammootty was appraised for his performance in the movie.[153]
He begin 2008 with action filmRoudram, directed byRenji Panicker. Mammootty joined with Anwar Rasheed after the industrial hitRajamanikyam. This time for the comedy action movieAnnan 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.[154] His next releases wereParunthu,Mayabazar. He done a cameo role inOne Way Ticket in whichPrithviraj 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 MalayalamTwenty:20, directed byJoshiy.[155][156] In 2009, he done the all-time blockbusterepic period drama filmKerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, written byM. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed byHariharan. the film has collected around 49cr in box office.[157] He also done performance oriented movies likeKerala Cafe andPaleri Manikyam. He won Best Actor Award in both Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for the movie Paleri Manikyam.[158][159] In the same year he done the action comedy filmChattambinadu, another performance oriented movieLoudspeaker and the directorial debut ofAashiq Abu,Daddy Cool. These movie has done Hit status in boxoffice.[160]
In the year 2010, Mammootty acted in the filmsDrona 2010, directed byShaji Kailas,[161]Yugapurushan, directed by R. Sukumaran,[162]Pramaani, directed byB. Unnikrishnan,[163]Pokkiri Raja, the directorial debut ofVysakh Abraham,[103]Kutty Srank, directed byShaji N. Karun,[164]Pranchiyettan & the Saint, directed byRanjith,[39]Best of Luck, directed by M. A. Nishad[165] andBest Actor,Martin Prakkat's debut film.[166]
His filmsAugust 15, directed byShaji Kailas,[167]Doubles, directed by Sohan Seenulal,[168]The Train, directed byJayaraj,Bombay March 12, directed by Babu Janardhanan andVenicile Vyaapari, directed byShafi appeared in 2011.[169]
In 2012, his films included:The King & the Commissioner, directed byShaji Kailas,[170] the Kannada-Malayalam bilingual filmShikari directed byAbhaya Simha,[171]Cobra, directed byLal,Thappana, directed byJohny Antony,Jawan of Vellimala, directed byAnoop Kannan, (Mammootty produced the film),Face to Face, directed byV. M. Vinu andBavuttiyude Namathil, directed by G. S. Vijayan.[172]
His first films released in 2013 wereKammath & Kammath, directed by Thomson andImmanuel, directed byLal Jose.[173] Later, he went on to appear inKadal Kadannoru Mathukkutty, directed byRanjith, which was released for Ramzan season,Kunjananthante Kada, directed bySalim Ahamed andDaivathinte Swantham Cleetus, directed by G. Marthandan.[174] His next release wasSilence, directed byV. K. Prakash.[175]
He acted inBalyakalasakhi, directed byPramod Payyannur,Praise the Lord, directed byShibu Gangadharan andGangster, directed byAashiq Abu in the first half of 2014.[176] He also acted in:Manglish, directed bySalam Bappu,Munnariyippu, directed byVenu,RajadhiRaja, directed by debutant Ajai Vasudev andVarsham, directed byRanjith Sankar. Mammootty received critical praise for his portrayal of C.K. Raghavan inMunnariyippu,[177] whileSify calledRajadhiRaja "a genuine hit for Mammootty after a long time".[178] Nicy V.P. ofInternational Business Times wrote: "Varsham is a movie worth investing your time and money."[179]
His 2015 releases wereFireman, directed by Deepu Karunakaran,Bhaskar the Rascal, directed bySiddique, a commercial success,[180]Acha Dhin, directed by Marthandan.Utopiayile Rajavu, directed byKamal andPathemari, directed bySalim Ahamed.[181]
He acted inPuthiya Niyamam alongsideNayanthara directed byA. K. Sajan in the first half of 2016. He also acted inKasaba directed by debutant director Nithin Renji Paniker. His next releases for the year wasWhite directed byUday Ananthan andThoppil Joppan, directed byJohny Antony marking their fourth collaboration.[182]
In 2017, his first release wasThe Great Father directed by debutantHaneef Adeni. He was then seen inPuthan Panam directed byRanjith,Pullikkaran Staraa directed bySyamdhar andMasterpiece directed byAjai Vasudev.[183]
In 2018, he acted inParole directed by debutant Sharrath Sandith. He has then seen inUncle written byJoy Mathew and directed by debutant Girish Damodar. His next release wasAbrahaminte Santhathikal, a crime thriller directed by debutant Shaji Padoor. His last release for the year wasOru Kuttanadan Blog directed and written bySethu.[184] In 2018, he acted in critically acclaimed Tamil moviePeranbu directed byRam.[185][186] It was selected forRotterdam Film Festival,Shanghai International Film Festival andInternational Film Festival of India.[187] His role of single parent Amudhavan who struggles with raising hisspastic girl child, Paapa was well appreciated by critics.[188][189]
His first release of 2019 wasMadhura Raja, a spin-off to the 2010 filmPokkiri Raja directed byVysakh. It becomes the best-grossing film in Mammootty's career.[190] His next release wasUnda 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 inChhattisgarh.[191] He was then seen in an extended cameo in the filmPathinettam Padi directed byShankar Ramakrishnan. Later in the year, Mammootty was in the historical dramaMamangam directed byM. Padmakumar, which is based on the historicalMamankam festival in the banks of theBharathappuzha.[192] He was also inRamesh Pisharody'sGanagandharvan in which he plays a ‘ganamela’ singer named Kalasadhan Ullas andAjai Vasudev'sShylock.[193][194] After two decades, Mammootty returned toTelugu cinema in 2019 with the biopicYatra which is based on formerAndhra Pradesh chief ministerYS Rajasekhar Reddy directed byMahi Raghav.[195][196]
In 2021, He starred inThe Priest, directed by Jofin T. Chacko featuringManju Warrier marking her first collaboration with Mammootty.[197] He then starred in the political thrillerOne, directed by Santhosh Vishwanath. He played Kadakkal Chandran, Chief Minister of Kerala in the film.[198] In 2022, He starred inBheeshma Parvam directed byAmal Neerad, which received positive responses and was a blockbuster.[199] He then starred inCBI 5: The Brain, which emerged as a box office success. In 2023, he acted in the Telugu filmAgent starringAkhil Akkineni.[200] In 2024, he reprisedY. S. Rajasekhar Reddy in the Tamil filmYatra 2.[201]
Mammootty had four Malayalam releases in 2023: He first appeared inNanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, which received critical acclaim for his role which won him the Kerala State Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actor.[202] He then appeared inChristopher andKannur Squad.[203][204] He then played the lead inKaathal – The Core.[205] In 2024, Mammootty appeared in three Malayalam films,Abraham Ozler,Turbo andBramayugam.[206][207]
Mammootty's first release in 2025 wasDominic and the Ladies' Purse.[208] He then appeared inBazooka.[209] Both films underperformed at the box office.[210]
He has acted in Tamil films for directors includingK. Balachander's (Azhagan),Mani Ratnam's (Thalapathy),Fazil's (Kilippechu Kekkavaa),N. Linguswamy's (Aanandham),R. K. Selvamani's (Makkal Aatchi),Marumalarchi Bharathi's (Marumalarchi) andEthirum Puthirum andRajiv Menon (Kandukondain Kandukondain) (2000). He played Anantha Sharma inK. Viswanath'sTelugu filmSwathi Kiranam (1992).[211]
During the 1980s, Mammootty was the co-owner of a production company, Casino, along withMohanlal,I.V. Sasi,Seema and Century Kochumon. The films it produced includedNadodikkattu (1987),Gandhinagar 2nd Street (1986),Adiyozhukkukal andKarimpin Poovinakkare.[212] He formed a televisionproduction company, Megabytes, which producedtelevision serials, the first beingJwalayay[213] in the late 1990s, which was also his first project as aproducer.[214]
Mammootty also owns a distribution company named Mammootty Technotainment.[40] He is the owner of Playhouse since 2009, a company which primarily distributes films he has starred in.[215] It has since ventured into film production, with ventures including theJawan of Vellimala andStreet Lights.[216][217] As of 2010, he is thechairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs some Malayalam TV channels such asKairali TV, Kairali News[218] and Channel We.[219] In 2021, he founded another production company, the Mammootty Kampany, which produced the filmsRorschach (2022) andNanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022).[220][221]
He has stated he has no political ambitions.[222] 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.[223][224] That year, he andDubai-based businessmanMA Yousuf Ali lobbied for the proposedSmart City project atKochi with officials of theDubai Internet City (DIC).[225]
In August 2021, Mammootty received theUAE Golden Visa.[226]
Mammootty is a patron of the Pain and Palliative Care Society, acharitable organisation inKerala, that aims to improve the quality of people in advanced stages ofcancer. He has been working with the Pain andPalliative Care Centre situated inKozhikode, India.[227] In 2018, he put forth a project to provide the pain and palliative care to those suffering from cancer throughout Kerala.[228] 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 theHridaya Sparsham project. A fundraiser over social networking sites supported by Mammootty raised about₹1 crore within a day.[229]
Mammootty is thegoodwill ambassador of the charity project Street India Movement, which lists the elimination of child begging andchild labour among its goals. He has promoted the activities of the movement, which coordinates with orphanages and institutions looking after the children.[230] He is also goodwill ambassador forAkshaya, theinformation technology dissemination project of theGovernment of Kerala.[231][232] 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.[233] 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.[234]
In August 2014, Mammootty launched the My Tree Challenge, modelled after theIce Bucket Challenge, which purports to encourage others to plant saplings, as the rules dictate that they should if challenged.[235] The challenge was created by Abdul Manaf, an entrepreneur, and Imthias Kadeer, a travel photographer. Mammootty challenged Mohanlal andShah Rukh Khan to take up the challenge.[236] Kazhcha, organised by Mammootty Fans Welfare Association and Mammootty Times, in association with Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre and the Eye Bank Association ofKerala, 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 thePresident of India will be utilised for this purpose. Free eye camps will also be conducted at various places in connection with this project.[237]
Mammootty has been described in the Indian media as one of the most versatile actors.[238] 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 ofPrem Nazir.[82] This changed in the 1980s with the growing popularity of Mammootty and Mohanlal.[82] Sreedhar Pillai ofIndia 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."[82]
In 2005, films starring Mammootty, Mohanlal andDileep 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.[239][240] During the 2006IIFA Awards ceremony held atDubai, he openly criticised the organisers of theIIFA Awards for completely ignoring South Indian film by stating that theBollywood film industry should stand up to competition from the South Indian film industry before calling itself international.[241]
Mammootty's performance inMathilukal was listed among the "25 Greatest Acting Performances ofIndian Cinema" byForbes India on the occasion of celebrating 100 years of Indian Cinema.[242] His performance inMunnariyippu is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" byFilm Companion.[243] Mammootty was appointed as thebrand ambassador of theThrissur-basedSouth Indian Bank on 16 October 2006.[244][245] He was also featured as the brand ambassador for Kerala Volleyball League.[246] In 2024, he was placed 63rd onIMDb's List of 100 Most Viewed Indian Stars.[247]
| Year | Track | Album | Composer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | "Ladies Collegil" | Mazhayethum Munpe | R. Anandh | |
| 1999 | "Poliyopoli Pookkula" | Pallavur Devanarayanan | Raveendran | |
| 2009 | "Aarandum Koorikootti" | Kutty Srank | Isaac Thomas Kottukapally | |
| 2009 | "Manjinte Marala Neengunnu" | Loudspeaker | Bijibal | |
| 2012 | "Onnam Kunnumma" | Jawan of Vellimala | Bijibal | |
| 2018 | "Entha Johnsa Kallille" | Uncle | Bijibal |
Mammootty has won threeNational Film Awards, sevenKerala State Film Awards, fourteenFilmfare Awards, elevenKerala Film Critics Awards and fiveAsianet Film Awards (from fourteen nominations). In 1998, the government of India honoured Mammootty with its fourth highest civilian award,Padma Shri for his contribution to the Indian film industry.[2][3] He was conferred with theDoctor of Letters degree by theUniversity of Calicut and theUniversity of Kerala in 2010.[4][5] In 2022, he was the honoured withKerala Prabha, the second-highest award given by the Government of Kerala.[6]
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