Archive · 7 Sep 2026
How Mammootty’s Boldest Roles Revealed His Greatness Across Decades
The writer first discovered Malayalam movies through streaming services and became a fan of Fahadh Faasil.
They had not watched films starring the famous actor Mammootty.
After seeing Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, they realized a superstar could choose unusual and serious roles.
In Kaathal: The Core, Mammootty played a married man who finally accepted that he was gay.
In Bramayugam, he played a frightening sorcerer in a black-and-white horror story.
The writer then watched older films in which he played very different kinds of people.
These included a frightened clockmaker, a harsh landlord’s laborer and a troubled teacher.
The writer now understands why Mammootty is widely considered one of India’s greatest actors.
A North Indian viewer discovered Malayalam cinema through OTT films before becoming familiar with Mammootty’s work.
Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam changed the writer’s view of superstar cinema through Mammootty’s portrayal of a man who believes he is someone else.
In Kaathal: The Core, Mammootty played a closeted gay man, while Bramayugam cast him as a feudal sorcerer in a black-and-white folk-horror film.
The writer highlights Mammootty’s range in films including Kalamkaval, Dominic and the Ladies’ Purse, Peranbu, Vidheyan, Thaniyavarthanam and Mrugaya.
Mammootty has balanced experimental acting roles with commercial successes such as the Sethurama Iyer films and New Delhi across a career spanning more than 400 films.
- Who
- Mammootty, with commentary from a viewer who discovered his work after watching Malayalam cinema through OTT platforms.
- What
- A personal reassessment of Mammootty’s career, acting range and ability to combine experimental roles with commercial stardom.
- When
- Across Mammootty’s career spanning five decades, with particular attention to recent films and older works the writer later discovered.
- Where
- Malayalam cinema, including films such as Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Kaathal: The Core and Bramayugam.
- Why
- The writer’s view changed after seeing Mammootty take unconventional, restrained and dramatically diverse roles rather than relying only on superstar spectacle.
- Actor discussed
- Mammootty
- Career span
- More than five decades
- Filmography
- More than 400 films
- Highlighted recent films
- Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, Kaathal: The Core and Bramayugam
- National Awards
- The article says Mammootty won four National Awards for Best Actor.
- Commercial franchise
- Sethurama Iyer, the CBI officer from the Oru CBI Diary Kurippu series
- Career turning point
- New Delhi, released in 1987, is described as reviving his career after a slump.