Sep 22, 2026 4:23pm IST
Mammootty on Winning His Fourth National Award and the ‘Magic’ Behind His Performances
The 72nd National Film Awards is currently happening in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat and Mammootty recently graced the red carpet at the ceremony. He has won a National award for his performance in the Malayalam psychological horror-thriller film “Bramayugam.” Reflecting on the recognition, the veteran actor said the award remains an inspiration for performers and credited the people he has worked with throughout his journey.
Mammootty said, “As usual, it's an inspiration for every performer to get recognized by the nation. Luckily, I'm very fortunate to have my fourth National Award as Best Actor. It has been a long journey with a lot of people behind me. They have supported me. My directors, writers, my co-actors and producers have supported me. I am very happy that I could entertain my audiences for a long time. I hope that I can do it more. I can only assure you that I'll be working very hard to be here."
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The actor also spoke about his approach to preparing for roles. Unlike performers who rely on extensive preparation before stepping onto a set, Mammootty said his process begins with the script and develops organically once filming starts. He added, “I choose the script and then the role. I don't have much preparation. It starts from the first day on the sets. I don't know what magic it is. I am not doing any magic myself, but something comes my way and it happens,” he said.
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Mammootty also recalled the process of preparing for his role in “Bramayugam,” which presented him in a striking black-and-white setting. The actor said his transformation largely came through collaboration with the film’s creative team, particularly the makeup and costume departments, as well as director Rahul Sadasivan. “I sat with my makeup and costume people for half an hour. I became the character with my director's help. My makeup person, cameraman and costume person should be thanked for it too,” he said.
Apart from Mammootty, the event also brought together some of the biggest names from Indian cinema. Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam, Aditya Dhar, Dhanush, Anant Nag, Randeep Hooda, Lin Laishram and Sanjay Mishra were among those in attendance.
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