American actor and producer Robert De Niro once said- “The talent is in the choices we make.” The words hold very true in today’s context for the Malayalam actor and producer Mammooty who is celebrating his life and jibe 73rd Birthday where he is still able to pull the novel crowd and his all-time fans with his aura, charisma, and screen presence which can’t be easily faded away. The actor is a very popular figure and has broken regional boundaries due to his hard work and sheer persistence. Apart from being a performer, he has presented and produced so many brilliant filmmakers in the industry and responsible for being producing versatile content-driven films.
Binged would like to enlist four different but unique performances of the actor which are considered to the underrated and a great reference for the aspirants and movie enthusiasts.
1. ‘Tharadas’ from Adhirathram (1984)
The movie is directed by I.V Sasi and written by John Paul. The story is an investigative drama genre and the Police trying to nab ‘Tharadas’, a notorious drug smuggler by using necessary evidence which are not easily attainable. The modern, retrospective, calm but spunky manhood is the paraphernalia for the character sketch of ‘Tharadas’. The transition from actor to star ‘Mammooty’ is incepted from here. The movie also features actor Mohanlal in a pivotal role. The movie is streaming on Disney+Hotstar Malayalam.
2. ‘Manu’ from Manu Uncle (1988)
The movie shows the actor to be versatile in his ability to mount a humorous character named Manu, who is an aspiring space scientist. Though it was meant to be constructed for a children’s film, the audience was very amused in seeing his performance and it is still a better watch for its compelling character-driven narrative which is engaging and interesting. This effort was directed by Dennis Joseph and written by Shibu Chakravarthy. Amazon Prime Video is the streaming partner of the movie.
3. ‘Ananda Padmanabhan’ from Adharvam (1989)
The tantric scholar and divine artist Ananda Padmanabhan has his eyes full of cognizance, grief, hope, and pride in his life which turns opposite when some events turn against the character. The transformation of good to evil from the inspiration of Atharva Veda has been transcended by the actor and its emulation is excellent. The movie is directed by Dennis Joseph, written by Shibu Chakravarthy, and can be watched on Amazon Prime Video or Disney+Hoststar.
4. ‘Dr. S.R Nathan’ from Ore Kadal (2007)
A complicated and depressing character, Dr. Nathan is a nightmare to the audience who would never try to become a person like him despite being an intellectual. A world-renowned professor of Developmental Economics, he has the life of a loner, alcoholic, and chain smoker which seems terrible. The trait sketch of Nathan and his transition is the storyline of the film. An actor like Mammooty is never expected to play a negative-shade character but he has made it exemplary. The character is haunting and keeps a hook in the audience.