Sep 07, 2026 2:02pm IST
Mammootty @75: Five Decades, 400 Films And Still Hungry For The Next Challenge (EXCLUSIVE)
Megastar Mammootty, who turns 75 today, is celebrating the milestone at his Chennai home. But age clearly has little say in his career. The birthday celebrations began at midnight with the title and first look of his upcoming Malayalam mass entertainer “Mela,” directed by Nithish Sahadev, in which he plays a rough-and-tough character. By noon came another reveal — the first look of his eagerly awaited Tamil film “OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram - The Blood Wood,” where he plays sandalwood smuggler Burma Karthikeyan.
There is a lovely coincidence here. Mammootty’s first major role was in K.G. George’s “Mela” (1980), where he played a bike-jumper in a circus. Cut to 2026: the same title returns, this time with the 75-year-old superstar at the center of the action.
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After five decades and over 400 films, the hunger is still alive. His filmography clearly reflects his hunger to reinvent. He has mastered the balancing act between mass entertainers and challenging, auteur-driven cinema, while continuing to back young writers and filmmakers. Films such as “Kaathal – The Core” and “Bramayugam” underline his willingness to experiment, even at a stage when most stars would play safe. Then there is the secret ingredient — his insatiable appetite for acting. As Mammootty once put it: “I’m a greedy actor. I’m always hungry.” That hunger perhaps explains everything.
Tech-savvy, fiercely protective of his superstardom and constantly curious about new filmmaking techniques, Mammootty remains remarkably connected with his fans and the changing landscape of cinema. He has also continued to explore new territory, producing and acting in master filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s “Padayatra,” which he hopes to showcase at major international film festivals.
Next up is “OM,” releasing on October 16 and marking his Tamil comeback after seven years. Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy of Amaran fame, the film reunites Mammootty with Dhanush and also features Sai Pallavi, Sreeleela and Naseeruddin Shah.
Periasamy sums up the experience perfectly, saying, “Mammootty sir is one of the finest actors in the country and a complete professional. It took me seven months of trying to convince him. Finally, I got my two-hour narration across — and Mammootty sir signed on. It felt surreal when I started working with him, but his enthusiasm is childlike, and he has nailed the character with consummate ease.
At 75, Mammootty isn’t looking back. He is still looking ahead — hungry for the next character, the next challenge and the next great film.
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