Mammootty

Biography

Muhammad Kutty Panaparambil Ismail (born 7 September 1951), known professionally as Mammootty ([mɐmːuːʈːi]), is an Indian actor and film producer who works predominantly in Malayalam-language films. With a career spanning over five decades, he has appeared in over 400 films, predominantly in lead roles, across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English languages. He is the recipient of several accolades, including four National Film Awards, eleven Kerala State Film Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and fifteen Filmfare Awards South. He received the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, in 2026 for his contributions to cinema, and earlier the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, from the Government of India in 1998. He was also honoured with the Kerala Prabha Award by the Government of Kerala in 2022. Mammootty was named as one of "the men who changed the face of the Indian Cinema" by CNN-News18 . Mammootty made his screen debut as a junior artiste in the drama film Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971). He got his first credited role in M. T. Vasudevan Nair's Vilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980). After playing a few supporting roles, he progressed to lead role in I. V. Sasi's romantic drama Thrishna (1981). He continued to do secondary and lead roles in the following years. By the early to mid 1980's, he established himself a bankable leading actor by starring in several successful films in 1984 and 1985; the crime drama Athirathram (1984), the action thriller Nirakkoottu (1985) and the romantic drama Yathra (1985) heightened his stardom. Mammootty predominantly works in Malayalam cinema, but has also appeared in other language films. Some of his best known non-Malayalam films include the Tamil gangster drama film Thalapathi (1991), the Tamil romantic drama Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), the Telugu musical drama Swathi Kiranam (1992) and the English-Hindi bilingual biopic Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar (2000). Mammootty has won four National Film Awards, seven Kerala State Film Awards, fourteen Filmfare Awards, eleven Kerala Film Critics Awards and five Asianet Film Awards (from fourteen nominations). In 1998, the government of India honoured Mammootty with its fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri for his contribution to the Indian film industry. He was conferred with the Doctor of Letters degree by the University of Calicut and the University of Kerala in 2010, and by Mahatma Gandhi University in 2026. In 2022, he was the honoured with Kerala Prabha, the second-highest award given by the Government of Kerala. Mammootty's life and career have been included in the undergraduate syllabus of Maharaja's College, Ernakulam's BA History programme, as part of the "History of Malayalam Cinema" course, in recognition of his significant contribution to the film industry. He is the chairman of Malayalam Communications, which runs the Malayalam television channels Kairali TV, Kairali News, and Kairali We. He is the owner of multiple production ventures, including the distribution-production banner, Playhouse, and production company, Mammootty Kampany. In 2007, Mammootty published his first book, Kazhchapadu (roughly translated as "Perspective"), a compilation of short essays he had written in various publications over the years.

== Early life and family ==

Mammootty was born on 7 September 1951 in Chandiroor. He was raised in the village of Chempu near Vaikom in Kottayam district in the present-day state of Kerala, India in a middle-class Muslim family. His father, Ismail, had a wholesale garment and rice business and was involved in rice cultivation. His mother, Fatima, was a housewife. He is their eldest son. He has two younger brothers, Ibrahimkutty and Zakariah, and three younger sisters, Ameena, Sauda and Shafina. He went to Government High School, Kulasekharamangalam, Kottayam for his primary education. In the 1960s, his father moved the family to Kochi, where he attended Government School Ernakulam. He did his pre-university course (pre-degree) at Sacred Heart College, Thevara. He attended Maharaja's College, Ernakulam, for his degree. He graduated with an LL.B. from Government Law College, Ernakulam. He practised law for two years in Manjeri. He married Sulfath Kuttyy in 1979 in an arranged marriage. The couple has a daughter Surumi (born 1982), and a son Dulquer Salmaan (born 1983)—also an actor. He resides in Kochi with his family. His younger brother, Ibrahimkutty, has also acted in Malayalam films. His nephews, Maqbool Salmaan and Ashkar Saudan, are Malayalam film and television actors.

== Film career ==

=== 1971–1982: Early career === Mammootty made his onscreen debut as an extra in K. S. Sethumadhavan's Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971) at the age of 20. He made his second appearance in an uncredited role in the 1973 film Kaalachakram, directed by K. Narayanan. He was cast in a small role as a boatman. It was in this film that he said his first dialogue. In 1975, he acted in the theatre drama Sabarmathi. After his graduation from Maharaja's college in 1976, Mammootty began his practice as a lawyer in Manjeri. During this time, he met his mentor M. T. Vasudevan Nair, who cast him in a pivotal role in Devalokam (1979). However, due to financial constraints and conflicts among cast and crew, the film stopped shooting halfway. As the film did not get a release Vasudevan Nair cast him in a minor role in Vilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980), directed by Azad and scripted by Nair, his first credited role. During the filming of Vilkkanundu Swapnangal, Mammootty met and got closer to Sreenivasan. When K. G. George was looking for a newcomer with a "smart and handsome personality" as a daredevil motorcycle jumper for his film Mela (1980), Sreenivasan suggested Mammooty's name while they were shooting at the Raymon circus at Ernakulam. Mela was the first Malayalam film to feature him in a prominent role. He was then cast in a supporting role in Vijayachithra Combines' big budget action film Sphodanam (1981), directed by P. G. Vishwambharan. He was credited as "Sajin" in the film as Vishwanbharan felt that the name "Mammootty" did not suit an actor. The same year, he made his first-ever appearance as a lead actor in the Malayalam film Thrishna (1981), which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film. Later that year, he appeared in a supporting role in I. V. Sasi's political film Ahimsa (1981), which earned him the Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor. The next year, he starred alongside Bharath Gopy in K. G. George's epoch making Yavanika (1982), as a police inspector who is on the search for an unpopular tabla player of a travelling drama group who suddenly disappears. Jijo Punnoose experimented Mammootty in a negative role in the epic period drama Padayottam (1982). I. V. Sasi cast him in a pivotal role in John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982), the Malayalam remake of Manmohan Desai's Hindi film Amar Akbar Anthony (1977). He was then cast in a major supporting role in Sasi's political drama Ee Nadu (1982), which was a major commercial success, becoming the highest grossing South Indian film of the year. Mammootty played supporting roles in most of the films released during the year. He had 23 of his films released during the year.

=== 1983–1986: Experimentation and breakthrough === In 1983, he started to transition into leading roles. Balu Kiriyath experimented with Mammootty by casting him as the lead in the comedy drama Visa, which was declared a hit at the box office. In his next film, Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu, directed by P. G. Vishwambaran, he played the role of a libertine lawyer who takes up the case of a female physician who is charged with medical negligence. The film became a major commercial success, running for 250 days in theatres. A critic of The Indian Express wrote, "Seema, as Dr. Bala gives a stand out performance, being particularly impressive in highly emotional sequences. She is matched in acting by Mammootty, who is advocate Jayamohan." In 2017, The Times of India described Mammootty's role as one of the "astounding advocate roles he has given life to". Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu is credited with solidifying Mammootty's status as a leading man. He then starred in Vishwambaran's Pinnilavu, a film about a fight of ethics between a father and son. A multi starrer, it was also a commercial success, running for 150 days in theatres. He then appeared in a supporting role in K. G. George's controversial classic Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback. In the film, Mammootty plays the role of a film superstar, a character modelled after Prem Nazir. On 15 May 1983, Sreedhar Pillai of India Today wrote, "Mammootty, the current rage of the Malayalam screen, successfully apes the mannerisms of fellow actor Prem Nazir in his Prem Sagar role." He then starred as an antihero in P. Padmarajan's classic Koodevide. In the film, he plays the role of a jealous and possessive lover of a boarding school teacher. The film was a major commercial success. Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express wrote, "Mammootty here adeptly navigated a range of emotions. But particularly impressive was his depiction of Thomas' jealousy, triggered by Alice's close bond with one of her students, a mother-son-like one which Thomas misconstrues as romantic. Mammootty skillfully showcased Thomas' descent into villainy, capturing his character's sinister demeanour and willingness to go the extra mile to win Alice's affection just for himself." His pairing with Suhasini was very successful and was continued in films like Ente Upasana (1984). Koodevide was also selected for screening in that year's Indian Panorama. It also won the Kerala State Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He then collaborated with director Joshiy for the first time for Aa Raathri. Despite mixed critical response, it was a commercial success. It had a very successful soundtrack, credited with launching Ilaiyaraaja's Malayalam film career. Critics consider Aa Rathri to be a trendsetter. It is regarded to be the first of the Kutty Petty films, tear-jerker family-drama tragedy of the 1980s. Films of this genre typically featured a happy family in the beginning, with a well-placed husband-cum-father, a young mother and a girl child of the age of 3 or 4. In the end, the family gets into a whirlpool of relationship problems. Other notable releases of the year were supporting roles in Fazil's Eettillam and I. V. Sasi's political Iniyenkilum. Reviewing Iniyenkilum for India Today, Sreedhar Pillai wrote, "Mammootty easily outshines everyone else as the villainous politician." In 1984, he starred as the smuggler Tharadas in I. V. Sasi's Athirathram. The film achieved considerable commercial success and the character of Tharadas gained a cult following among the youth. Mammootty, who was considered a bankable leading actor was propelled to superstardom with the success of the film. Owing to the popularity of the character, it was reprised by Mammootty in Balram vs Tharadas (2006). He then starred in I. V. Sasi's Kanamarayathu, an adaptation of the 1912 novel Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster. In the film he plays the role of the sole successor of a rich business empire who falls for an orphan girl younger than him. Kanamarayathu explores the concept of relationships between couples with a large disparity in their ages, which challenged Indian social mores. Upon release the film received critical acclaim and became a commercial success. For his performance as Roy Varghese, Mammootty won his first Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor. The film has over the years accumulated a cult following and is now considered a classic in Malayalam cinema. He then starred as a police officer in Bharathan's Ithiri Poove Chuvannapoove. The film explores the relationship between a police officer and his younger brother, who becomes a Naxalite. It was a critical success and had a successful soundtrack. He then appeared in a supporting role in the art house film, Akkare. In the film he portrays a non resident Malayali. The film is a satirical take on the obsession, especially of the middle class of other's lifestyle. He then starred as a vengeful fisherman back from prison in I. V. Sasi's Adiyozhukkukal. The film was a commercial and critical success. Mammootty won his first Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam for his performance as Karunan. Mammootty's performance in the film is often considered one of the best in his early career. The film was produced by Casino Productions, a production company owned by Century Kochumon, Mohanlal, I. V. Sasi, and Mammootty. He also starred in I. V. Sasi's Aalkkoottathil Thaniye, a box office hit. In 1988, film scholar Vasanthi Shankaranarayanan wrote, "Aalkkottathil Thaniye shows the changing image of woman in contemporary Malayalam cinema. From weak and enslaved to strong and independent." Aalkkottathil Thaniye, the screenplay was released as a book by DC Books in 2009. That year he also starred in several Kutty Petty films that received negative critical reviews but were successful at the box office, notable of which were Sandarbham, Koottinilamkili and Chakkarayumma. The former of which was a major box office hit, running for 150 days in theatres. It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. The genre had now become synonymous with Mammootty, being renamed the Mammootty-Kutty-Petty film. The following year, he starred in Padmarajan's Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam, based on the radio drama Ammaykku Vendi by Sajini Pavithran, in which he plays the role of a man who wants to sell his ancestral house and put his mother in an old age home. The film explores the layers of family relationship in a rural setting threatened by urban culture and explains how the imminent breakdown of the joint family is prevented by a death. Upon release, the film was critically acclaimed, winning the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam that year. He then starred in I. V. Sasi's Anubandham, scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, the film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning four Kerala State Film Awards that year. He collaborated with Nair and Sasi once again that year with Karimbinpoovinakkare, in which he played the role of Shivan, who in a state of rage kills his best friend due to a misunderstanding and explores how he repents for his sin. The film was a commercial success. He then, starred as Ravi Varma, a millionaire on death row for killing his wife in Joshiy's Nirakkoottu. The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of that year. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam film. He then starred as a forest officer who is mistaken for a Naxalite, arrested and jailed for many years in Balu Mahendra's romantic drama Yathra. The film tells a fictional story but is built upon the human rights violations by the police and the prison authorities in India during the emergency of 1975–1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. It is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classic The Yellow Handkerchief. The film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning the Kerala State Film Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. It was declared a blockbuster, running for 200 days in theatres, becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year. For his performance, Mammootty won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in Yathra, as well as a Special Jury Award for his performances in both Yathra and Nirakkoottu. In 1986 alone, he acted in about 35 films, including a brief appearance in Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu. In 1986, he teamed up with I. V. Sasi for the film Aavanazhi, which was written by T. Damodaran. Mammootty appears in the lead role as Balram, a police officer. Both Inspector Balram and Balram vs. Tharadas are sequels to this film. The film was a huge hit at the box office. The film ran for over 200 days. The film was remade in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.

=== 1987–1990 === Following a series of flops, Mammootty found commercial success with the crime thriller New Delhi (1987), directed by Joshiy and written by Dennis Joseph. He played G. Krishnamoorthy, a victimised journalist who systematically arranges the killing of politicians who had implicated him under false charges. New Delhi was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film released at that point. After its release, Rajinikanth, wanting to remake the film in Tamil, offered to buy the rights from Joseph, but the rights for Kannada, Telugu and Hindi-language remakes were already sold by that time. In the same year, he played Balagopalan, a school teacher who is deemed mad by society owing to a superstitious belief, in the drama Thaniyavarthanam, directed by Sibi Malayil and written by A. K. Lohithadas. It won the Filmfare Award for Best Film – Malayalam at the Filmfare Awards South. Mammootty's performance received acclaim from film critics. In the first of his several releases in 1988, Mammootty appeared in the comedy film Manu Uncle, directed by Dennis Joseph. Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi made cameo appearances in the film. It received the National Film Award for Best Children's Film at the 36th National Film Awards. Mammootty played an investigator called Sethurama Iyer in another film, Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, which served as the first instalment in the CBI series. The film set box office records both in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The film's one-year theatrical run in Tamil Nadu continues to remain an all-time record. That year, he also appeared in the Sibi Malayil-directed action film August 1, which was based on the novel The Day of the Jackal, by Frederick Forsyth. The film's rights were sold in Tamil Nadu for a record-breaking price at the time. Additionally, Mammootty and I. V. Sasi worked together on three projects in the same year: the romantic film Abkari, the drama Mukthi and the war film 1921. In the latter, Mammootty played Khader, a World War I veteran who joins the Malabar rebellion. The film, which cost over ₹1.2 crore to produce, earned ₹2 crore during its theatrical run. In 1988, Mammootty collaborated with Joshiy for two films, Sangham and Thanthram. The following year, Mammootty starred with Rahman and Shobana in the G. S. Vijayan thriller film Charithram. The story is adapted from the English movie Chase a Crooked Shadow. The story is about the relationship between two brothers. In the same year, he acted in a film which is considered as one of the best crime thriller in Malayalam cinema, Adikkurippu, written by S. N. Swamy and directed by K. Madhu. In 1989, Mammootty starred in the lead as Chandu Chekavar, in the epic historical drama film Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, directed by Hariharan and written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The movie has won four National Film Awards, including Best Actor(Mammootty), Best Screenplay(M.T Vasudevan Nair), Best Production Design and Best Costume Design(P. Krishnamoorthy). The movie has selected as Best Malayalam Movie in Filmfare Awards, also the movie has won seven Kerala State Film Awards. The movie received both commercial and critical acclaim and ran for over 300 days. It is considered as one of the greatest films of all time. In an online poll conducted in 2013 by IBN Live, as a part of Indian Cinema completing 100 years, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha listed as the third greatest Indian Film of all time. In the same year, Mammootty starred with Sukumaran in the Mystery-thriller film Utharam, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The story was based on the short story No Motive by Daphne du Maurier. Utharam is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam cinema. Second movie in CBI (film series), Jagratha released in the same year. It is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam. In the same year Mammootty joined with Joshiy, in the movie Mahayanam, which was a critical and commercial success. In 1989, Mammootty appeared as hunter in Mrigayaa, Directed by I. V. Sasi and written by A. K. Lohithadas. The movie was a major success and I.V Sasi won the Kerala State Award for Best Director. In 1989, Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in Kerala State Film Awards for the movies Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigayaa and Mahayanam. In 1990, he starred in Kottayam Kunjachan, an action comedy film directed by T. S. Suresh Babu and written by Dennis Joseph. The movie has become one of the highest-grossing film in the year. Mammootty played the role Kunjachan which is a character from the novel Veli written by Muttathu Varkey. Mammootty made his Tamil debut the same year with Mounam Sammadham. N. Krishnaswamy of The Indian Express wrote, "Mammootty plays the no-nonsense hero in the film with such dignity, poise and grace." Mammootty won Best Actor Award in National Film Award in 1990 for the movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and Mathilukal. The film focuses on the prison life of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and the love between him and Narayani, a female inmate of the prison, who remains unseen throughout the film. The movie was critically acclaimed and considered as the best classics of Malayalam Cinema. The movie has won four National Film Awards. When Indian Cinemas Completes 100 Years, Forbes included the performance of Mammootty in the list "25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema". Mammootty appeared as Alexander in the 1990 in a Gangster film Samrajyam, Directed by Jomon with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The movie has commercially a major success at Kerala and Andhra Pradesh box-office. The movie has run for more than 200 days in Kerala and 400 days in Andhra Pradesh. In 1990, Mammootty was part of No.20 Madras Mail directed by Joshiy. Mammootty done a cameo role as himself and Mohanlal was in the lead role.

=== 1991–1994 === In 1991, he starred in Amaram, directed by Bharathan and written by A. K. Lohithadas. Mammootty played the character Achootty, an uneducated fisherman who wants his daughter to be educated and wants her to become a doctor. The role helped Mammootty to grab another Filmfare award for Best actor. In the same year he has done two Tamil films Thalapathi and Azhagan. Both the films were commercially successful. Thalapathi is adaptation from the Hindu Epic, Mahabharata. In the same year, Mammootty joined with I.V Sasi for two movies, Inspector Balram and Neelagiri. Inspector Balram was a sequel to his 1986 film Aavanazhi. The movie was commercially successful. In 1992, he acted with Kannada actor Vishnuvardhan in the action thriller movie Kauravar. Mammootty played the character Putturumees in the movie Soorya Manasam, who is a mentally challenged man who lives with his mother in a small village. Mammootty was critically acclaimed for the role and the movie is based on 1937 American Novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Sowcar Janaki played the mother character. In the same year he acted in movie Pappayude Swantham Appoos, directed and written by Fazil. The movie explores the relationship between a father and son. The film was both commercial and critical success and ran for more than 200 days. Mammootty done his entry to Telugu industry through Swathi Kiranam in the year 1992. In 1993, Mammootty joined with Joshiy for an Action film Dhruvam. It was Vikram debut in Malayalam Cinema. The film was a super hit at the box-office. In the year Mammootty won the kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and for the movie Vatsalyam, directed by Cochin Haneefa, Ponthan Mada directed by T. V. Chandran and Vidheyan directed and written by Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He also won National Film Award for Best Actor for the movie Ponthan Mada and Vidheyan at the same year. In the year Mammootty done a Tamil movie Kilipetchu Ketkava, directed by Fazil. Mammootty made his Bollywood debut with the 1993 release Dhartiputra