Comparing Mammootty and Mohanlal, and why fans must not mind arrogance

Mammootty and Mohanlal, two pillars of the Malayalam movie industry, are quite different from each other in real life - or that’s what people can gather from their public appearances and interviews.

While Mammootty is known to be the strict, caring, masculine man, often called arrogant for the way he deals with this fans, Mohanlal is known to be fun-loving, physically affectionate, slightly feminine in his mannerisms and, as a man without any starry airs, approachable to everyone alike.

This one video will prove what I am saying.

Mammootty is a bit reserved, yes, but it is not an unknown fact in the industry that he is the most thoughtful, caring person there, the only man (maybe other than Dileep) who keeps a check on artists who are out of demand, who are ill, who are in need of financial help, who are often forgotten.

Mammootty is also known for his hospitality, and when people say the young superstar Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty’s son, is as well behaved and hospitable as his father, it also proves that megastar Mammootty is also a successful father.

Mohanlal being more friendly with fans doesn’t mean Mammootty is arrogant. But, when you talk about Mammootty, not drawing a parallel with Mohanlal is impossible.

Mammootty is a righteous man, much like most of the characters he has played on-screen. He does what he believes in, is known to be a family man, and strictly believes he has a personal life where fans are not welcome without invitation.

More recently, at the 35th edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair, an audience asked Mammootty a not-so-comfortable question during the question and answer session. The man asked: “Don’t you think that if you could tone down a bit, be less arrogant, let go of your starry airs, you could be more of a people’s superstar?”, to which the superstar replied: “Who should change that perception, that public-opinion? You or me?”

Labelling a movie star as arrogant if he chooses to keep to himself and not be friendly with random strangers, be it fans or not, is not really fair.

Prithviraj, another Malayalam superstar who has also acted in a couple of Bollywood movies, was also initially stamped as arrogant for being introverted.

He once said: “I often see people (who recognise him) smile, and sometimes I don’t return the smile because I don’t know them. It is only after a couple of minutes that it strikes me that these people know me, they would have just seen me right before turning their television off, but by then, the damage is done.”

Another young actor Fahadh Faasil, just like Ranbir Kapoor, said: “Fans needn’t be worried about what I am doing in my personal life. They needn’t like me, they needn’t follow me, they needn’t interfere or be worried about the choices I make for myself and my family. They needn’t form a fan’s association in my name either. All they need to do is go watch my movies, and that too, only if the movie is good. If my work is not good, if the movie is not good, trash it, I will welcome it with a smile.”

Now is it fair to say these celebrities are arrogant? No, they just choose to keep their professional and personal life separate. 

Also read: 5 reasons north Indians should watch Mohanlal's Oppam