For decades, each time the Mammootty versus Mohanlal argument resurfaced, the debate always pivoted around an undisputed script. If Mohanlal was celebrated as the benchmark of versatility, Mammootty was always enclosed in a narrative of presumed limitations. So much so that the claim almost became a folklore! It was said that Mammootty struggled in domains (naturality, comedy, dance, romance, action) where Mohanlal glided effortlessly. It reached a point where even his most definite strength was strangely held against him. So his intense emotional range, which had the capacity to carry entire films, was routinely dismissed as melodramatic. As for his mastery over dialects, period roles, and culturally rooted characters, which he always approached with meticulous precision, it was casually reduced to being “just one of his things.” It was never accorded the same cultural capital as Mohanlal’s comfortable naturalism.

Despite everything, the juggernaut rolled on, braving hits and misses, bricks and bouquets, until his career took an unexpected, almost gentle U-turn in recent years. Before 2019 (not going to the 80s and 90s that showcased both actors breaking new grounds), the Megastar was often seen in embarrassingly forced misadventures (Thoppil Joppan, Masterpiece, Pullikaran Stara, Parole, White, Oru Kuttanandan Blog, among others) that not just undermined everything he had long been celebrated for but also indulged in his conceit. But then, post-pandemic, the actor seemed to have had a creative epiphany, resulting in a recalibration that led him to restore focus, subtlety, and objectivity to his craft. One also has to concede that even during those bumpy years, he produced unpolished gems (Pathemari, Varsham, Puthan Panam, Munnariyippu, Pranchiyettan and the Saint), more of a quiet reminder to himself and the audience that his craft was far from........

© Mathrubhumi English