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The fantastic living school of acting, Mammootty, has turned an year older (or going by his increasing dynamic looks, should we say 'younger'?). Even though he has crossed 71 today, the Malayalam superstar shows no hints of slowing down with age, as he is busy taking on one interesting film after another, working with varied directors, from B Unnikrishnan to Lijo Jose Pellissery. Although Mammootty has continued to act in mass entertainers like the recent CBI-5 and Bheeshma Parvam, he is also lending his range to 'intellectual' cinema like Peranbu and Puzhu. Puzhu Movie Review: Mammootty’s Fantabulous Negative Performance Anchors This Slow-Paced Psychological Drama.
Mammootty has worked in cinema for more than five decades, transitioning from an extra with no dialogue in Anubhavangal Paalichakal to being a three time National Award winner (when it meant something) and Padma Shri recipient (tragic that he hasn't be conferred Padma Bhushan yet) and also winner of seven Kerala State Film Awards and 13 Filmfare Awards. In this special feature, we look at seven best films of the superstar ranked by their IMDB score (with user votes more than 1000) and list them in ascending order.
Amaram (1991)
IMDb Ranking: 8.4
It's cruel that Mammootty's fine performance in this Bharathan classic never won him a National or a State award, though he did win the Filmfare Award. His character of the fisherman Achootty, who cares for his daughter more than anything in the world, still remains one of Malayalam movie fans' fave characters. You can watch Amaram on Disney+ Hotstar.
Vatsalyam (1993)
IMDb Ranking: 8.4
This family entertainer, directed by the late actor Cochin Haneefa, still continues to be a fave among family audiences, even though a couple of scenes and themes (city girls are bad and are home-wreckers, and slapping wives is ok) haven't aged well in time. Mammootty plays a patriarch in a joint family and a farmer, who puts his family above his own happiness, but later has to suffer as a result. You can watch Vatsalyam on Eros Now. Mammootty Birthday: Iconic Dialogues Of Mammukka That Every Malayali Loves!
Thalapathi (1991)
IMDb Ranking: 8.5
The first of the two Tamil movies in this list, Thalapathi is a Mani Ratnam masterpiece that starred two of Indian cinema's greatest actors, Rajinikanth and Mammootty. Inspired by the tale of friendship between Duryodhana and Karna in Mahabharata, Thalaiva is Karna to Mammukka's Duryodhana in this gangster drama, also starring Shobana, Arvind Swamy, the late Srividya and the late Amrish Puri. You can watch Thapathi on Amazon Prime Video.
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha
IMDb Ranking: 8.7
Mammootty got his first National Film Award for Best Actor (that he shared with his performance in Mathilukal) in this Hariharan classic. Written by MT Vasudevan Nair, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha gives a different perspective to the tale of Chathiyan Chandu, with Mammootty making this role legendary. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is available on YouTube. Mammootty Birthday Special: From Vidheyan to Munnariyippu, 15 Times Malayalam Megastar Impressed Us in Roles With Shades of Grey.
Peranbu (2018)
IMDb Ranking: 8.7
This Ram-directed social drama about a single father and his cerebral palsy-afflicted daughter is both bold and affecting, and once again, the fact that Mammootty's performance didn't get noticed at the National Awards has been a huge oversight. You can watch Peranbu on Amazon Prime Video.
Thaniyavarthanam (1987)
IMDb Ranking: 8.8
This Sibi Malayil film, written by the great, late Lohithadas, is a disturbing watch, as it showcases how unintended gaslighting can truly make a man insane. Mammootty plays a school teacher, whose extended family believes they suffer some curse that leaves one person from a generation mentally ill, and Mammootty's character could be next. The heartbreaking climax is one of the most downbeat endings in Malayalam cinema. Thaniyavarthanam is streaming on Eros Now.
Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000)
IMDb Ranking: 8.9
It is quite interesting that despite being a Malayalam superstar, the film that tops this list happens to be a film that is made in Marathi, Hindi and English. Jabbar Patel's biopic on the Architect of our Constitution has a National Award winning performance from Mammootty, and is quite relevant in the times when there are debates of whether social inequality still exists in our society (PS - it does). Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2022 07:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
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