From Kottayam Kunjachan to Unda, 10 Mammootty movies that show the megastar may be each bit as entertaining as he’s intense.
IMAGE: Mammootty in Rajamanikyam.
Key Factors
- Regardless of recurring criticism about his comedic timing in comparison with Mohanlal, Mammootty’s dedication to his craft has led to a number of extremely entertaining comedy performances.
- Kottayam Kunjachan is highlighted as a tailored position the place Mammootty’s comedian timing, aided by the enduring Kottayam slang, takes centre stage.
- Mammootty’s skill to flawlessly undertake totally different slangs and dialects, as seen in Pranchiyettan & The Saint with the Thrissur accent, considerably enhances his comedic portrayals.
Whereas there may be hardly any doubt that Mammootty is an performing establishment in himself, and a showman able to fabulous performances, he has lengthy confronted a recurring criticism about one particular facet of his craft: that he’s not a pure with regards to comedy.
This criticism turns into much more marked when he’s in comparison with his fiercest competitor in histrionics and stardom in Malayalam cinema, who additionally occurs to be his shut good friend: Mohanlal.
For Mohanlal, comedy comes naturally. There’s a sure mischief in his light-hearted performances that makes it extremely simple and fascinating for audiences to be utterly charmed, significantly all through the ’80s and ’90s.
For Mammootty, it was not an innate trait. But, we’re speaking about an actor who offers his absolute all to every thing he tries, a dedication that has finally served up some extremely entertaining efforts.
As we proceed our particular sequence to have fun Mammootty’s seventy fifth birthday on September 7, Sreeju Sudhakaran picks 10 Mammootty movies that make you grin essentially the most.
PS: I desperately needed to incorporate Rajamanikyam, but it surely secured a spot on one other listing, so please bear with its absence!
Oru Kadha Oru Nunakkadha (1986
IMAGE: Nedumudi Venu and Mammootty in Oru Kadha Oru Nunakkadha.
Directed by Mohan from a screenplay by Sreenivasan, Oru Kadha Oru Nunakkadha is a breezy comedy entertainer the place Mammootty takes a step again right into a supporting position, permitting Nedumudi Venu to command centre stage.
The late veteran performs a slick conman who likes to brag and weave an elaborate webs of lies, placing these expertise to make use of when wooing a wonderful woman (Madhavi), who solely needs to be buddies.
Mammootty performs the heroine’s nerdy, introverted cousin. He’s in love together with his murapennu however can not muster the heart to admit his emotions.
When Venu’s character finds out, he employs each crooked measure within the e book to make sure that confession by no means occurs. Nedumudi Venu is fiercely entertaining because the devious fibber, whereas Mammootty impresses in a cast-against-type, geeky efficiency.
Manu Uncle (1988)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Manu Uncle.
One in every of my favorite motion pictures rising up, Manu Uncle nonetheless entertains and enthralls all these years later.
Although he’s formally the hero and the movie is called after his character, Mammootty cedes the highlight to the youthful solid to shine as his mischievous niece and nephews, who by chance unravel a significant smuggling racket.
A light-weight-hearted comedy for essentially the most half, the Dennis Joseph movie sometimes veers into severe grownup territory, notably when a likeable character will get murdered. But, it packs a hilarious climax and a few pleasant cameos from Mohanlal (taking part in himself) and Suresh Gopi (delivering maybe his funniest efficiency to this point).
Kottayam Kunjachan (1990)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Kottayam Kunjachan.
Okay, it’s lastly time to permit ‘Mammukka’ to grab centre stage on this listing, and Kottayam Kunjachan is maybe the most effective entry to do precisely that.
It’s that good fan-appeasing position that enables the famous person to entertain us together with his comedian timing, aided by that iconic Kottayam slang, whereas effortlessly weaving romance and motion into the combination.
The scenes the place he takes the stage to disclose how ‘Mohanlal’ betrayed him, or when he violently sabotages the pennu kaanal of his crush, are merely all-time comedian gold. It’s not exhausting to see how Kottayam Kunjachan later turned the working template for the slew of Mammootty entertainers that dominated his filmography a decade later.
Golanthara Vartha (1993)
IMAGE: Mammootty and Sreenivasan in Golanthara Vartha.
We’re discussing light-hearted entertainers in Malayalam cinema, so it will be weird to omit a Sathyan Anthikad movie penned by Sreenivasan.
Golanthara Vartha combines the talents of each for yet one more pleasurable household entertainer with Mammootty. The actor performs a revered shopkeeper, identified throughout the village for his absolute truth-telling and principled methods.
Nonetheless, he finds himself hopelessly caught in a tightening internet of his personal lies when he makes an attempt to rehabilitate a younger woman as a type of penance.
Whereas Mammootty is earnest and likeable because the well-meaning do-gooder, Sreenivasan steals the present because the ‘dreaded’ native rowdy carrying a grudge towards the hero. Shobana, Kanaka, Nedumudi Venu, Sukumari, and KPAC Lalitha spherical out the fantastic ensemble solid.
Megham (1999)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Megham.
Priyadarshan’s comedy (regardless that it did not work on the field workplace as anticipated) continues to age remarkably properly by way of countless tv reruns. A main motive for this longevity is the genuinely hilarious comedian sequences that includes Mammootty, Cochin Haneefa and Sreenivasan (who completely sparkles as Shanmugham), backed by an exquisite soundtrack.
Mammootty’s position as a haughty main grappling with a damaged marriage and an inflated ego permits him to effortlessly show numerous shades: Strict authoritarianism, awkward comedian aptitude, a romantic melting, petty jealousy, and ultimately, some ethical redemption.
It’s a grey-shaded character and Mammootty not solely revels within the half, but in addition permits him to push to some entertainingly embarrassing moments like his dance within the Margazhiye Mallikaye music.
Mayavi (2007)
IMAGE: Suraj Venjaramoodu and Mammootty in Mayavi.
Within the late 2000s, Mammootty churned out a slew of comedy entertainers, undoubtedly boosted by the success of his massy act in Anwar Rasheed’s Rajamanikyam.
Whereas that particular period might simply warrant a listing of its personal, I’ve to be extremely picky, so I made a decision to choose Mayavi. Shafi’s movie just isn’t solely a enjoyable watch but in addition permits Mammootty to show his concerted efforts at mastering comedy quite efficiently.
It’s bodily exhausting to not snigger when he confidently jumbles up advanced Malayalam vocabulary simply to point out off, or when he critically makes an attempt to show girls methods to cook dinner Kadai Rooster.
The film additionally permits him to comfortably flex his mass muscle mass, taking part in a vigilante protector who operates completely within the shadows. The good comedian efforts of Salim Kumar and Suraj Venjaramoodu additional elevate this extremely rewatchable entertainer.
Katha Parayumbol (2007)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Katha Parayumbol.
M Mohanan’s Katha Parayumbol looks like a Sathyan Anthikad film that was merely directed by another person, largely because of its rural humour and a unusual solid of actors closely acquainted to Anthikad’s universe. However then once more, it was scripted by Sreenivasan, which simply explains the vibe.
Sreenivasan additionally performs the lead on this heartwarming trendy tackle the story of Lord Krishna and Sudama. He steps into the Sudama position as a poor village barber who abruptly turns into the centre of consideration when locals be taught he was shut buddies with a reigning famous person.
Mammootty performs that famous person in an prolonged cameo, maintaining the true nature of their supposed friendship utterly hidden till a terrific climax scene. Watch Mammootty’s speech intently in that sequence; it’s a masterclass in methods to seamlessly shift by way of feelings inside a single, flowing scene.
Katha Parayumbol was so cherished that it spawned remakes in Tamil (Kuselan, with Rajinikanth) and Hindi (Billu, with Shah Rukh Khan).
Pranchiyettan & The Saint (2010)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Pranchiyettan & The Saint.
Talking of masterclasses, there completely must be one detailing precisely how Mammootty flawlessly nails totally different slangs and dialects. Whether or not it’s his Kadappuram accent in Amaram, the Kottayam slang in Kottayam Kunjachan, or the extremely exaggerated Thiruvananthapuram slang in Rajamanikyam, the actor seamlessly slips into each spoken tongue as if he’s a pure native.
He pulls off the very same magic with the Thrissur slang in Pranchiyettan & The Saint.
However his efficiency isn’t just in regards to the accent. It’s a remarkably enjoyable depiction of a person who possesses riches and social standing however believes he lacks respect resulting from his poor training and lack of English talking expertise.
Ranjith’s movie is full of enjoyable satire, significantly in Pranchiyetta’s hilarious makes an attempt to primarily purchase a Padma award and in his whimsical conversations with Saint Francis (voiced by the director). Alongside Mammootty, the late Harmless additionally delivers a standout, extremely comical efficiency.
Finest Actor (2010)
IMAGE: Mammootty in Finest Actor.
Martin Prakkat, of Charlie and Nayattu fame, made his directorial debut with this light-hearted, pseudo-gangster entertainer a few middle-aged man desperately chasing his dream of changing into a film star. A lot that he joins an actual gang to prep for a gangster position that was mockingly promised to him.
Mammootty convincingly portrays the naïveté and crushing heartbreak of a faculty instructor slowly realising that native appreciation is nowhere close to sufficient to crack the movie trade. He’s equally good at portraying the made-up swag of a fake gangster who depends completely on present quite than precise motion.
Best Actor really shines in its climax, which holds a few nice surprises assured to depart you smiling by the point the credit roll.
Unda (2019)
IMAGE: Mammootty, Rony David and Shine Tom Chacko in Unda.
Impressed by a newspaper report, Khalid Rahman’s Unda is the quirky story of a squad of Kerala policemen despatched to guard an remoted polling sales space in Chhattisgarh from a possible Naxal assault.
Mammootty performs the unit chief. Whereas we’ve got seen him play tough, powerful cops numerous instances earlier than, his portrayal here’s a refreshing departure.
Shorn of any mass-appeasing heroism, his character is definitely much more emotionally susceptible than his juniors, even struggling a light cardiac episode throughout a sudden assault on their camp.
Huge credit score is as a result of veteran actor for bringina nuanced outstanding restraint in his efficiency that makes it all of the extra plausible and pure. Simply watch the scene the place he narrates his backstory and the way he ends it with a banger in a really matter-of-fact method. That understatedness just isn’t really easy to drag off.
Images curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
