Mammootty Birthday Special: From New Delhi to Big B, 30 Iconic Scenes of the Malayalam Superstar That Are Permanently Etched in the Hearts of Malayalis (Watch Videos)

2021 is special for all Mammukka fans. Not only does the megastar looks ageless at 70 this year, but also has completed 50 years in the industry. Now what more can I say about Muhammad Kutty Paniparambil Ismail aka, as we more commonly know him as, Mr Mammootty, that any Malayalam movie lover hasn't said before? He is an actor par excellence, one of the most brilliant performers in the country and whose acting career, spanning fifty years, has made us exhaust all kinds of nice adjectives to describe his performances. Mammootty Birthday Special: From Vidheyan to Munnariyippu, 15 Times Malayalam Megastar Impressed Us in Roles With Shades of Grey.

He may not be, what you can say, a naturally gifted actor, as his biggest competitor and closest contemporary, Mohanlal, is. But Mammootty more than makes up for that with his hard work, dedication and a talent to get into the skin of his character. Those three National Awards for Best Actor mean something, right?

From mass entertainers to weepy dramas to fascinating arthouse films, Mammootty loves to sink his teeth in most kinds of cinema.  If there is an Aavanazhi, there is an Amaram. If there is a Hitler, there is also an Azhakiya Ravanan. If there is a Masterpiece, there is also an Unda. Think I made my point here. What's more, it's not just in Malayalam cinema that Mammootty has excelled. Some of his memorable roles have been in Tamil cinema too, like in Thalapathy, Azhagan, Kandukondain Kandukondain and more recently, in Peranbu.

Mammootty is turning 70. On this special occasion, we look at 30 of the many iconic movie scenes that come to the minds of a Malayali movie lover when we think of Mammootty, in no particular order.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha

The iconic scene that will always remain etched in the minds of all Mammootty fans. The above scene is the key for the viewers to realise that Chandu, the despised legend of Vadakkan folklore, may not be as black as he has been painted. Mamangam: From 1982 to 2019, Mammootty’s Transformation Through Historical Sagas Proves He Is the Fittest Malayalam Superstar!

Gandhinagar 2nd Street

Mammootty has a cameo appearance in this evergreen Sathyan Anthikad film, with Mohanlal and Karthika in the lead. But the man steals the show in his intro scene, giving a lesson or two for all the self-appointed moral police folk in our society.

New Delhi

This Joshi movie, perhaps, deserves the credit for turning a star into a superstar. As the vendetta seeker, Mammootty's G Krishnamoorthy has enough grey shades and revels in writing the fates of the people who caused him harm. So imagine his disappointment when he realises that his final victim got away, just as he was in the midst of celebratory ecstasy. Not to worry, his beloved finishes the task for him within minutes. Mammootty Birthday Special: 10 Popular Movies of the Malayalam Megastar That Were Remade in Bollywood With Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn!

Rakkuyilin Ragasadassil

Mammootty has been a part of many iconic songs, but this one is oft-mentioned for being every man's (sexist) dream fantasy of an ideal wife. Also, Mammootty and Suhasini's chemistry is just WOW!

The King

Every dialogue Mammootty's Thevally Parambil Joseph Alex has in this movie will make you cheer out loud. But the most famous is his description of the real India and the iconic utterance of 'Sense undavanam, sensibility undavanam, sensitivity undavanam!' That is, if you ignore the sexist connotations! Iconic yes, misogynist, also yes! Mammootty Birthday Special: 7 Pictures of the Legendary Actor That Prove He’s Fit, Fab and Ageless at 70!

Katha Parayumbol

Who can forget that brilliant climax of Katha Parayumbol that makes the movie lives upto its inspiration - the fable of Krishna and Sudama? Mammootty's performance in the scene is extremely heart-winning, and makes us realise that even superstars are mere mortals like the rest of us, craving for real friends and companionship.

Rajamanikyam

Is there an accent that Mammootty can't nail? His Trivandrum slang for his character, Bellary Raja, has won him a lot of fans. The scene where he heckles the cop, played by Baburaj, nails both as a comic scene, while also going massy.

Thalapathy

Time for a couple of Tamil flicks in the list too. Thalapathy is Mani Ratnam at his best, with both Rajinikanth and Mammootty delivering fantastic performances. The above scene is mostly centred around Rajinikanth and Arvind Swamy, but Mammootty owns it towards the end with just one word, 'Mudiyaathu'! Also, terrific use of camera and BGM score in there!

Kandukondain Kandukondain

In this entertaining adaptation of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Mammootty plays the one-legged former army officer who pines for Aishwarya Rai's character, despite knowing that she may never love him back. Which is why, this scene in the climax touches you when she proposes him for marriage. Mammootty's performance will leave you both in smiles and tears. Also, AR Rahman's score for this scene is just LIT!

Oru CBI Diary Kurippu

That BG score...That trademark walking style... dear Malayali viewers, herald the arrival of your very own Hercules Poirot!

Amaram

Mammootty's kadappuram slang in Amaram has been fodder for many mimicry artistes to imitate. While it is definitely a dialect that you might find whimsical when you hear it first, it is incredible of Mammootty to eke out one of his best-enacted emotional scenes in the climax of the film.

Vidheyan

Mammootty can be an awesome anti-hero and this particular film, and this scene, is a huge proof of that. A National Award winning effort at that!

Pranchiyettan and the Saint

It is often said that Mammootty is not as proficient in making you laugh like a certain other M in Mollywood. While Mammukka may not be as flexible in humour as Mohanlal, the superstar can bring the house down if given the right material and in the hands of a brilliant director. The above scene from this enjoyable Ranjith film is proof of that.

Azhakiya Ravanan

Mammootty's character of Sanker Das in Kamal's lovely romantic drama Azhakiya Ravanan is an anti-hero that you laugh at and then feel annoyed with. But in the climax, he spins the narrative around, to make you root for him to have the happy ending that he craved from his childhood. Such a beautiful touch there, Mr Kamal!

Big B

"Kochi pazhaya Kochi allennariyaam... Pakshe Bilal pazhaya Bilal thanne aa!" Thus was borne one of the slickest movie quotes of Malayalam cinema this century! Big B, a ripoff of the Hollywood actioner Four Brothers, may be a very average action film, but Mammootty is all kinds of cool as almost undefeatable Bilal.

Kottayam Kunjachan

Years before Rajamanikyam and Pokkiri Raja, Mammootty showed us how he can do both mass and humour in this 1990 film, that too in a Kottayam slang. The scene where he single-handedly ruins his crush's pennu-kannal scene, and trolls the hell out of her suitor, especially that back hand slap, is pure comedy gem!

Munnariyippu

Apologise that I couldn't get the actually ending from YouTube, but in a way, I am glad that I didn't. For you have to watch Venu's brilliant slow burn of a psychological thriller to relish the twisted climax!

Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha

Ahmed Haji, one of the three roles played by Mammootty in this Ranjith film, may share a few traits with Vidheyan's Patelar, when it comes to arrogance and murderous superiority complex. His intro scene is so well-framed, as we see the camera on a low establishing his mansion, as Haji walks from the left into the frame. Till then, we have only heard about this character, but when he finally makes his entry, we know this is one man not to be messed with. And how right we were!

No 20 Madras Mail

Mammootty and Mohanlal have done more than 40 movies together, including Twenty: 20 and Harikrishnans. And yet, nothing beats the charm of Mohanlal's character drunkenly fanboying over Mammootty, who plays himself, in this hilarious scene. Click here, if you cannot watch it above.

Narasimham

Narasimham is an out and out Mohanlal masala mass entertainer, filled with mass dialogues, clapworthy action scenes and chartbuster songs. And to add icing to that cake, there is Mammootty making a thundering cameo as the hero's lawyer friend, with an intro scene that will make your romam have romancham!

Mathilukal

The subtleties in Mammootty's performance is best savoured in this beautiful film, where he relives the prison days of author Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. Memorable are the scenes where he romances an unseen lady prisoner (voiced by KPAC Lalitha) on the other wall, with enough sexually charged lines.

Thaniyavarthanam

Thaniyavarthanam is easily one of Mammootty's most tragic performances (also see Sooryamanasam, Sukrutham). While the ending is haunting, Mammootty's best performance comes in the scene where he has to act as a stranger at his own house so that his sister's alliance is not ruined. All because his own relatives think he is going mad.

Best Actor

Mammootty is an outsider who made it to his industry on his own and turned into a superstar, that too when he was in his '30s. Which is why we noticed a sense of poignance in his memorable monologue in the climax of this Martin Prakkat film, as he schools a bunch of ADs for disparaging strugglers, only to turn it into an unexpected audition. Click here if you cannot see the video above.

Athirathram

He is Tharadas... And he is a smuggler! What a cool calling card for an anti-hero! Mohanlal, who is opposite Mammootty in this scene, takes a page out of this cool swag and used it for his performances in Rajavinte Makan and Irupatham Noottandu.

Kaathodu Kaathoram

One of my favourite Mammootty songs, this one is also special because it provides an eye-opening revelation about the hero, who everyone till then know is nothing more than to be a good-hearted vagrant. With the first stirrings of the violin and the first few lines from his dulcet tones, not only does Saritha's protagonist but also the audience falls for him.

Iyer The Great

Iyer the Great is a very underrated psychological thriller, but the scene where Mammootty's doomed protagonist climbs up a tree and the vertigo gives him epiphany about a train collision happening in the future is pure chills.

Mrigaya

By the time I am writing this, I do believe there should be a separate list just for Mammootty's excellent intro scenes. Among the classic is his entry into this social drama as hunter Varunni, who comes in wading through the river, accompanied by a loyal dog and leaving the bathing women stunned! This scene was later spoofed in the movie, My Dear Karadi.

Ponthan Mada

TV Chandran's Ponthan Mada came out in the same year as Vidheyan, and yet was a role reversal for the actor, who now plays a labourer from the lower strata, and is fascinated by his master, played by Naseeruddin Shah. Their conversation when Ponthan talks to his sayippu while on a treetop is simply for the ages.

Ee Shabdam Innate Shabdam

This vigilante thriller that has been inspired by the film Death Wish sees Mammootty's character kill his wife's killers in various ways. He then confesses his crimes to the court in only the explosive way that we have known the megastar to do.

Megham

Let's end this list on a lighter touch. Mammootty's dancing skills are quite atrocious, and even the superstar acknowledges that (check out his hilarious intro scene in Thuruppugulan). And yet he is game to spoofing his lack of dancing skilling as seen in this popular song from the Priyadarshan comedy, and joining him here is another atrocious 'dancer' in Sreenivasan, who also has no qualms for 'self-inciting' jokes!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 07, 2021 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).