Mammootty takes on a sinister role in his latest film, Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan. Set in the 17th century, this dark horror fantasy unfolds as Mammootty portrays the lord of a desolate manor, trapping a runaway folk singer within while concealing a bizarre secret about himself. As the despotic overlord with supernatural powers, Mammootty has given a brilliant performance where he looks aptly terrifying on the screen. It is easily one of the finest performances in the actor's illustrious filmography, with many now labelling him as the 'True Actor of Indian Cinema'. Bramayugam Movie Review: Mammootty Terrifies With Sinister Brilliance in Rahul Sadasivan's Spellbinding Horror-Fantasy,

Taking up negative roles isn't anything new for the National Award-winning superstar of Malayalam Cinema, though they do come in rarity. His famous peer and competitor, Mohanlal, had done quite a few negative roles early in his career, thanks to his iconic debut in Manjil Virinja Pookkal, where his Narendran was easily one of the most memorable antagonists in Malayalam cinema. However, after he turned superstar, Mohanlal has avoided taking much roles of grey shades.

Mammootty, on the other hand, avoided villainous roles early in his career, but the rare negative roles he did early on - like in Padayottam and Iniyengilum - were not among his best works. Surprisingly, he took on a few negative roles after he became a superstar, and each of his grey-shaded characters turned out to be feathers in his illustrious cap, including winning a National Award for Vidheyan. Interestingly one of the movies that turned him from star to superstar - Oru Vadakkanveeragatha - had him humanise a villainous character from folklore, making Chathiyan Chandu into a tragic figure who is misunderstood rather than a misguided one.

In this feature, we look at five movies of Mammootty where he impressed playing irredeemable negative roles.

 

 

Vidheyan

Mammootty in Vidheyan

Adoor Gopalakrishnan's masterpiece is one of the finest movies in Malayalam Cinema, that won Mammootty his second National Award (sharing with another excellent performance in Ponthanmada). He plays a feudal lord who is a terror to the people around him, especially his fraidly devoted servant, played by MR Gopakumar. Mammootty cuts such a horrifyingly authoritative figure, proving that you don't need black magic (as in Bramayugam) to be personification of evil. Vidheyan is available on YouTube.

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha

Mammootty in Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha

This Ranjith film has Mammootty in triple roles, two out of three being in the grey zone. His Murikkinkunnath Ahmed Haaji has him play another feudal landlord who once again is the epitome of evil, and a terror to his village. And yet it is Mammootty's amazing capability to bring different nuances to his role, that Murikkinkunnath Ahmed Haaji doesn't feel like a redo of Vidheyan's  Bhaskara Patelar. The funny part is despite being a truly vile person, Ahmed Haaji is not even the actual villain of the movie. Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha is streaming on SunNXT.

Munnariyippu

Mammootty in Munnariyippu

Venu's Munnariyippu is a slow-burn but deceptively smart psychological thriller that has an equally deceptive performance from Mammootty, who keeps the audience guessing till the very end about the nature of his character. He plays a prisoner who is accused of double homicide, but his gentle behavior makes anyone who comes across him believe he was falsely accused of the crime. Even we as the audience feels so, but like the journalist who sympathises him and wants him to write his life story, we were in for a rude shock in the end. Munnariyippu is streaming on SunNXT. Mammootty Birthday Special: From Vidheyan to Munnariyippu, 15 Times Malayalam Megastar Impressed Us in Roles With Shades of Grey.

Puzhu

Mammootty in Puzhu

Ratheena's psychological drama has Mammootty play a widower who controls every aspect of his young son, and hates his younger sister and husband. Why you ask. Well, he is a bigot who doesn't approve of their inter-caste marriage. Mammootty makes his character feel like a dormant volcano, who spews smoke and mud, but we are terrified of how and when he would burst out. When that happens, we are left shocked because of the nature of how that happens. It is a fantastic performance that is among his underrated works and deserves more chatter. Puzhu is streaming on SonyLIV.

Bramayugam

A Still From Bramayugam

In Bramayugam, Mammootty delivers a performance that reaffirms his status as an actor at the pinnacle of his career. As Manakkal Kodumon Potty, a terrifying figure with a penchant for subjugating servants and engaging in amorous dalliances with succubuses, Mammootty exudes a palpable sense of unpredictability. Bramayugam is presently playing in theatres.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 16, 2024 10:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).