This year marks Mammootty's 50th in cinema. It would be difficult - impossible? - to write a retrospective that would adequately capture the oeuvre of the superstar. From a career spanning 50 years and multiple cinematic universes, here's our pick of 50 of his most memorable moments on screen. Not in any order of preference. Some of his popular films or performances might not be included here as it was difficult to just pick a memorable scene from some of them. So here we go.
1. Kottayam Kunjachan (1990): Sloshed and angry after being taken for a ride by Mollykutty, Kunjachan alights from the ambassador car, ties a cloth on his head and throws a volley of abuses—note that stagger, the slurred, perfectly-pitched, Kottayam slang laced with pathos and his wounded blood-shot eyes.
2. Oru Vadakkan Veeragadha (1989): In that climactic scene soon after defeating his nephews, Chandu orders them to leave the scene beginning with an emotionally charged monologue and closes in that deep baritone — “Chanduvine tholpikkan aavilla makkaley.”
3. Paleri Manikyam—Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha (2009): Murikkum Kunnathu Ahmed Haji slyly takes stock of a skimpily clad Cheeru strolling from her daily dip at the river and the woman covertly glances at her predator. His gaze reflects unbridled lust, sending shivers down the spine of any woman.
4. Pranchiyettan and the Saint (2010): When Pranchiyettan fumbles with the speech— “Poorangalude,” much to the amusement of the audience, he displays a helplessness, a sense of defeat that’s beautiful to watch.
5. Rajamanikyam (2005): When the cop blocks his car and snarls at him, Manikyam initially plays it down and quips— “Saru puliyayurunnalley?” But then when he gets roughed up, Manikyam swiftly shifts from comic to assertive anger— “Valathottu nikkada.”
6. Thalapathy (1991): Deva leans back on a chair watching the feisty exchange of words between Surya (Rajnikanth), Collector (Arvind Swami), and the cops. The camera orbits around Surya and Collector and then suddenly Surya jumps from his chair shoving angry words at the cop. Deva instantly gets up, places a hand over his friend, signals him to stop. And then he leans forward and asks the collector, very coolly— “What do you want?” The collector tells him to stop everything to which Deva replies— “Mudiyathu” and walks away with that scene tailormade to glorify Rajnikanth.
Watch: Thalapathy
7. Vidheyan (1994): Regret, relief, fear, and an odd sadness darts across Patelar’s ashen face when he tells Thommi how he killed Saroja. The voice modulation here is a textbook study for students of acting.
8. Arayannangalude Veedu (2000): When Ravi searches for his daughter Chinnu, his childhood lover comes in front of him, elated that he hadn't forgotten her. Ravi is unprepared for this encounter and he is filled with remorse and guilt when he realises that she had been waiting for him all these years. Very subdued act.
9. Thaniyavarthanam (1987): Balan comes home to find that his sister’s would-be groom and family have come for a visit. A delighted Balan awaits to be introduced only to be told by his uncle and younger brother that he is a “distant relative.” If you want to see how someone struggles to hold a smile even though their heart is badly bruised, here it is.
10. Kauravar (1991): Vengeance is his only thought when he gets his hands on the cop who had put him in jail but that emotion instantly vanishes into desperate pleading when he is told that his daughter is alive.
11. Mathilukal (1990): The first time Basheer hears Narayani’s voice in that desolate jail—wonder, unfeigned joy, and a touching naiveté flaps across his face.
12. Amaram (1991): After rescuing Kunjiraman from the ocean, Achutti hands him over to the family and begins his walk back home only to be stopped by his buddy, Kunjiraman who begs for forgiveness. Achutti’s eyes well up as he fights for composure, gives a reply and a warm hug. When his daughter falls at his feet, Achutti is poised, a strange calmness has descended on his face. After blessing her, he walks away, head held high, without a backward glance at the daughter he loved the most in the world. The body language, the fisherman slang that doesn’t slip even during the emotionally-charged moments –acing it all.
13. The King (1995): Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex saunters towards Commissioner Shankar after the fiasco surrounding a paparazzi’s arrest, he begins a fierce monologue finishing it up by knotting his mundu and delivering a scintillating punchline. Screen presence, impeccable dialogue delivery and an attitude that borders on cockiness. Nails it!
14. Swathi Kiranam (1992): When a chastened Anantha Rama Sharma returns home after a long hiatus he sits amidst young students who are learning music from his wife. When he sings along, the little girl next to him corrects his raga to which he smiles gratefully. The journey of the egoistic and renowned musician eventually gets a fitting closure.
15. Kariyilakattu Pole (1986): Film director Hari Krishnan has been invited as a chief guest for an event. Sometime during the middle of it he spots someone in the crowd, gets all clammy and nervous, lights a cigar and excuses himself from the event. A moment of mortification for the renowned film director who suddenly saw the woman he had wronged. Spot on.
16. Hitler (1996): When Madhavan Kutty storms into Balachandran’s home to bring back his sisters and the latter shows him the door, Madhavan Kutty who is caught off guard, turns back to look at him—stunned, overpowered, and hurt. So much so that Balachandran has the grace to look awkward.
17. Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000): Just when Major Bala comes to terms with his unrequited love for Meenakshi, she confesses. When she offers her love, he goes blank for a minute, in denial, unable to believe what he is hearing. And then the reality seeps in. Beautiful.
18. Narasimham (2000): From the fiery introductory speech to the court scene spewing bombast to the friendly banter with buddy Induchoodan, Nandagopan Maraar takes very little time to be a formidable force of nature in a film headlined by Mohanlal.
19. Palunku (2006): Monichan rushes past the crowd to witness his daughter’s dead body and sobs uncontrollably, wailing loudly.
20. Yathra (1986): Unnikrishnan, after reading another letter from Gauri, swallows the paper and cries.
21. Loudspeaker (2009): It’s difficult to hold back our smile whenever Mike gets into the business of spreading warmth and compassion to those around him in that loud affectionate drawl.
22. Dr. Ambedkar (2000): The meeting between Gandhi and Ambedkar which ends on a sore note. The physicality apart, Mammootty smoothly internalizes the complexities and struggles of Ambedkar. A cerebral performance.
23. Ponthanmada (1994): When Mada finds himself being sorely ignored at the new habitat where his wife works.
24. Munnariyippu (2014): After the initial enthusiasm tides over, Anjali begins to get impatient with Raghavan. But Raghavan continues to be evasive, yet affable. Superbly controlled act.
25. Pappayude Swantham Appoose (1992): When his friend accuses him of not loving his son enough, a distraught Balu wipes his tears, composes himself, promises to behave, prepares to leave but then turns back and tells him in a near broken baritone how much that accusation has hurt him. Gold!
26. Bhoothakannadi (1997): When an anxious Vidyadharan huddles with his daughter in the attic after witnessing Sarojini’s daughter’s death.
27. Pathemari (2015): The climax, where he turns an ordinary speech into a rousing cinematic moment, adding subtle, fresh touches in his voice modulation.
28. Kanamaraythu (1984): Royichan trying his darndest to remain evasive to Shirley’s love, thinking he is too old for her.
29. Roudram (2008): The 8-minute monologue before the interval that has ASP Narendran detailing the history of friendship and betrayal he endured at the hands of his senior and goes on to remind the superior to be grateful to him. Pitch-perfect dialogue delivery with an astounding control over voice and body language.
30. Big B (2007): If there is one scene that accentuates the formidable screen presence of the Superstar, it has to be his entry as Bilal. By the time Bilal’s SUV is in focus, the exaltations have mildly begun. And then arrives torrential rain and a stylish BGM. The SUV stops, booted legs slowly step out to a splash of water. In a bandana and a thick jacket, one immediately gets that towering, inscrutable presence of Bilal John Kurishangal!
Watch: Big B
31. Varsham (2015): At the hospital when the Doctor comes out of the operation theatre, Venu who is nervously puffing a cigar walks towards her and says— “Poyi. Alley?”
32. New Delhi (1987): When GK narrates his newly fanned megalomania to Maria with a brilliantly intoned monologue.
33. Peranbu (2019): At the brothel when Amudhavan delicately enquires about a male sex worker for his daughter, he gets a ringing slap for an answer. What follows is a composed, meltingly poignant dialogue, intoned with deliberation, leaving us with a lump in our throat.
34. Yatra (2019): When the high command sends a messenger to warn YSR to tell Sucharitha to withdraw from the contest, YSR remains unperturbed and calmly shows him who’s the boss. The actor captures the formidable authority figure as well as the humane side of the character.
35. Unda (2019): Mani sir and his troupe find themselves being the target of a flurry of gunshots in the middle of the night. As they muster all the courage and guns that are available and fire back, Mani sir staggers onto a chair, sweaty and numb. The next morning, he apologises to his juniors and admits that he has never chased thieves in his career and had no idea what to do when faced with bullets.
36. Best Actor (2010): The climactic stirring speech where Mohan lashes out against the two assistant directors almost converts as an anthem for aspiring actors. It has anger, grief, desperation, and an undying passion for the craft. And then he switches back from his meta mode and appeals for yet another chance. Wow!
37. Valsalyam (1993): That scene where he breaks into a fervent dialogue after his relatives question his integrity is vintage Mammootty.
38. Karuthapakshikal (2006): Murugan narrating his wife’s death. No tears, no ostensible show of emotions, even the baritone is blank. All you can see is a face of helplessness. But the effect is disquieting.
39. Anandam (2001): The youngest sister-in-law is going ballistic accusing the brother-in-law of squandering funds. But his parents and brothers are trying to stay calm as Tirupati has sat down to eat his lunch. Just when the accusations start escalating, he looks at everyone and says— “You won’t be able to bear the truth.”
40. Ore Kadal (2007): The final scene when a distraught Nathan accepts his love for Deepthi. When the arrogant, mercenary economist has disappeared into a desperate forlorn man pining for love.
41. Puthanpanam (2017): With demonetisation throwing him off balance Shenoy decides to pay ex-Minister Chandra Banu an unexpected visit, which eventually leads to unfortunate events. The actor is top notch, lending gravitas to the Mangaluru don and typically aces the complicated Kasaragod slang.
42. Rappakal (2005): The family have assembled in front of the tharavadu for a group photo. When Krishnan is called by Saraswathi Amma to join them, he is nastily reminded of his position in the household. A visibly shaken Krishnan quickly regains composure and enthusiastically cheers the photographer.
43. Kadha Parayumbol (2007): The grand finale speech when a wistful Ashok Kumar weaves together every little incident of his childhood with best friend Barber Balan. One of those branded Mammootty renditions laced with pathos and intensity. He makes us feel for every word he utters.
44. Pranamam (1986): SP Prathapan’s first visit to Thulasi begins with the former appreciating her writing but in between the stern cop takes over and then it is revealed that her father was his teacher, prompting him to hurl his cigarette out of reverence. And then he wonders why he did that. Lovely bit.
45. Nombarathi Poovu (1987): When Padmini says she found it a bit difficult to reach the place, Dr Padmanabhan who runs the home for special children, roars at her and wonders how he should word it. Till Padmini narrates the story, Padmanabhan doesn’t bother to hide his displeasure and skepticism as he thought she was there to discard her child with special needs. Talk about personifying empathy and compassion.
46. Mrugaya (1989): After he is hired by the village priest to hunt the tiger, Varunni gets down to the business of womanising—be it awkwardly peering through the bushes to peep at women bathing or soliciting the attentions of the local sex worker. The actor totally lets us buy that debauched act.
Watch: Mrugaya
47. Kazhcha (2004): When Madhavan chokes on his food, the little boy quickly taps his head, Madhavan reaches towards him affectionately and poses a question to the officer— “Can we take him back?”
48. Dany (2001): The otherwise unflappable Danny who eavesdrops on another man propositioning his wife, quietly knocks the man down and then declares that it was “deliberate,” stressing on the vowels.
49. Sukrutham (1994): When Ravishankar witnesses a fleeting moment of intimacy between his wife Malini and Rajendran, he does not react to it like any other husband would. Shocked, he quickly retraces his steps, comes back to his room and plops on the bed, weeping uncontrollably.
50. One (2020): It’s when Chief Minister Kadakkal Chandran stands in the middle of a noisy cabinet meeting that his neurological disorder suddenly reappears. He walks slowly towards his seat, unties a file, and tries to put his signature. We see how he strains to coordinate, with partial loss of sensation, vision blurring and a thin film of angst touching his face. Exquisitely done.
Neelima Menon has worked in the newspaper industry for more than a decade. She has covered Hindi and Malayalam cinema for The New Indian Express and has worked briefly with Silverscreen.in. She now writes exclusively about Malayalam cinema, contributing to Fullpicture.in and thenewsminute.com. She is known for her detailed and insightful features on misogyny and the lack of representation of women in Malayalam cinema.