Mammootty's 10 underrated performances every fan should watch

As Mammootty turns 69 during what seems to be the world’s end, we review the last few decades to unearth some veritable gems from his repertoire of films that deserved more love from the audience.

While he has been criticised for his choice of films in the recent past, it appears that some understated acts have not only been missed but even overlooked for their lack of alpha male heroism.

Here we present Mammootty in some fabulous roles ranging from friend, father, hesitant cop and caregiver, to lost soul and martyr. Happy birthday, Mammookka!

Puthan Panam (2017): It is a cracker of an introductory scene — the camera rests on a foot audaciously tilting, a man touches it with deference as we gape at the grim, formidable Nityananda Shenoy, bathed in a glimmer of gold and white. A gangster based in Mangaluru, Shenoy has a pronounced Kasaragod dialect, lives life king size, and has an entourage of men at his beck and call.

Demonetisation leads to a scuffle between Shenoy and an ex-minister who gets accidentally killed by one of Shenoy’s men. However, the narrative never really capitalises on that brilliant build-up given to Shenoy but instead his character gets marginalised in a farcical subplot involving a boy and a missing gun. Considering the nuances Mammootty brings to Shenoy, the film is a glaring case of a missed opportunity and a performance criminally underrated.

Kadal Kadannoru Mathukutty (2013): There is nothing overtly macho or heroic about this pious Catholic, settled in Canada with his wife and two children. In that household where the wife who works as a nurse, brings in the money, Mathukutty’s voice is less heard. A slacker who would rather recline on a wooden chair in his village in Kerala and lazily watch the world race ahead, Mathukutty is ordinary to the point of being dull. When an opportunity offers him an escape from that life he has always loved, his integrity gets questioned, resulting in a few life’s lessons.

Mammootty completely dissolves into this unremarkable Mathukutty, there is a lethargy in his body language, his clean shaven face mirrors discontentment and fragility and we are torn between empathy, pity and disdain for him, like how the character is meant to be. But the film failed to evoke interest, resulting in one of his subtlest acts getting overlooked in this film written and directed by Ranjith.

Roudram (2008): There is an 8-minute monologue before the interval in this Renji Panicker scripted and directed political thriller, circling around a cop assigned to investigate the murder of a drug baron. After listening quietly to his superior’s condescending rant for a few minutes, ASP Narendran begins recounting with clarity the history of friendship and betrayal he endured at the hands of his seniors, and goes on to remind him smoothly why the superior should forever be grateful to him. Not only is the dialogue delivery impeccable, Mammootty holds it together with a controlled aggression, all the while leaving us in no doubt as to how intensely that incident rankled him.

It is this restraint while taking on such an exuberant and stylish character that keeps this cop far apart from the actor’s own other much feted cop outings on the big screen. But strangely despite being a box office hit, the character is not discussed as it should be.

Dany (2003): In TV Chandran’s less discussed film, Mammootty plays Dany, an aimless lonely man who remains steadily isolated despite having a family of his own. His life is chronicled in the backdrop of political milestones in Kerala, even as Dany seems to be detached from his own personal milestones. After marriage, he gets walked over by his wife, children, and grandchildren, yet Dany takes it all in his stride with his trademark wit.

Very few actors can perfect helplessness and apathy in their body language like Mammootty and to Dany he lends an unlikely layer of dry wit. One of those instances when a performance literally lifts the film out of its pensive mood with a sly chuckle. Unfortunate that the performance was sidestepped even at the Kerala State Awards that year.

Arayannangalude Veedu (2000): Raveendranathan has always carried the baggage of the sins of others. At home, he was always framed for the mischiefs committed by his siblings. When he comes home for a visit after a long hibernation, the demons of the past are not yet ready to forgive him, but this time he has come fully equipped to face it. He easily bypasses the hurdles and eventually wins over his near and dear ones. AK Lohithadas crafts a poignant family drama here, with each character occupying their space unhurriedly.

Mammootty easily co-exists in the frame, careful not to draw all the attention to himself and yet he owns the role without much effort, piecing together the anguish and complexities of someone who is tired of being victimised all his life. Maybe it is the gamut of characters in the narrative or maybe it is a role we are accustomed to seeing the actor perform that might have let us overlook this intensely subtle act.

Udyanapalakan (1996): In this film, written by AK Lohithadas and directed by Harikumar, Mammootty plays Sudhakaran, an ex-army man who is past his prime, lives with his aged mother, and passionately tends to the flowers in his garden. He is grumpy and lonely but hides a heart full of love. While the narrative sails through with the usual family conflicts and drama, it is when Sudhakaran falls in love with a girl half his age that it suddenly takes an emotional turn.

It is not a conventional romance and perhaps that’s why Mammootty aces the twists and turns of the love story, within his relationship going through annoyance, mellowness, surrender and him ending up a martyr. There is tenderness and a bit of guardianship, like someone aware of the wide gap in their age, yet we root for him.

No. 20 Madras Mail (1990): In a frame occupied by two giants, where the co-giant is literally having the time of his life, casually usurping the screen space with his effortless timing and best lines, it's easy to feel that Mammootty was shortchanged. But that’s where Mammootty’s meta role turns significant. He plays himself and he does it with such characteristic elan and exuberance, cheerfully enjoying Mohanlal’s brilliance, allowing him to play the field and yet holding his own, stepping in to play the saviour act and not making a big deal out of it.

It is not easy to play yourself onscreen but Mammootty is naturally cool and dignified here. Can't think of a more beautiful camaraderie on screen.

Mattoral (1988): This seldom-discussed KG George film explores the aftermath of an extramarital affair in a marriage. Though the narrative primarily focuses on Kaimal and Susheela and her subsequent elopement with a mechanic, Mammootty’s Balan, as Kaimal’s friend, is as involved in this crisis. He is that voice of reason and sanity, he is the one who is traumatised about his friends’ plight and would give anything to bring them together. As Kaimal plunges into despair, it is Balan who lends him a shoulder to cry on.

It is a very raw and earnest performance, and you know Kaimal has got a friend for life.

Nombarathipoovu (1987): Dr Padmanabhan enters the screen much later in the film and just as unannounced—he is sitting in the middle of a class for special children, fixing a cycle for them, a conversation is flowing when he is beckoned by the attender. Peranbu’s Amudhavan would have loved to have known Padmanabhan—that is how compassionate he is with disabled children. His own son attends the same school and Padmanabhan’s world revolves around them; the smile, the energy, the affection, is palpable when he is with them. He plays a supporting character and Mammootty literally embodies Dr Padmanabhan, his empathy, love, selflessness, and it is difficult to believe it's just an act.

Pranamam (1986): That his Bharathan film was released in the same year as Avanazhi where Mammootty’s Inspector Balram, the fiery young cop, received a rousing welcome could well explain why the relatively even-tempered, fun, and romantic Inspector Prathapan did not grab the eyeballs. In a narrative where Suhasini played the lead of an investigative reporter who gets involved in a student drug bust story, Mammootty was the surprise package. He is angry but it gets diffused as quickly, he appreciates poetry and prose (look out for the scene where he is struggling to hide his anger at Suhasini but can’t help admiring her writing) and he quickly falls in love with Suhasini. 

Though the film ends on a sad note, the performance is entertaining. 

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.