PremiumPranchiyettan and The Saint, Rajamanikyam and more – 5 movies that prove Mammootty is the master of dialects
Mammootty is one of the very few actors who can have played with the slangs and voice modulation on screen, successfully. Here are the 5 films, that prove the megastar is the master of dialects.
Last Updated: 11.25 PM, Jan 08, 2024
Mammootty, the megastar of Malayalam cinema has been winning the hearts of audiences with his unmatched movie choices, after the pandemic. The veteran actor successfully reinvented himself as an actor and launched a new production banner named Mammootty Kampany, under which he has been producing quite a few notable and path-breaking films.
When it comes to his performances, Mammootty is one of those rare actors who have been getting better with time, line a fine wine. However, it is the National award-winner's unmatched skills when it comes to learning new Malayalam dialects and presenting it on silver screen with perfection, that makes him different from his contemporaries.
Here we present the 5 films in Mammootty’s career, which prove that the megastar of Malayalam cinema is a master of dialects. Have a look...
Vidheyan
Mammootty stunned the audiences with his villainous act in Vidheyan, the Adoor Gopalakrishnan directorial which hit the theatres in 1994. The veteran actor learned the regional dialect from the South Canara district of Karnataka for his character Bhaskara Pattelar. For the audiences who have watched the film, it is impossible to forget Pattelar’s spine-chilling look and his fierce dialogues in broken Malayalam and Kannada. Mammootty won his second National Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance in the Vidheyan. In case you missed Vidheyan or wish to revisit this gem of a film, it is only available on YouTube.
Rajamanikyam
The Mammootty fans and cine-goers, who expected yet another cliche mass hero character when Rajamanikyam was released, were pleasantly surprised to see the megastar in a new avatar. The 2005-released Anwar Rasheed directorial presented the veteran actor, who is best known for his exceptional language skills, as an illiterate business magnate who speaks in a lesser-known Trivandrum slang. Mammootty learned the dialect for the film, with the help of the popular actor Suraj Venjaramoodu. His performance as the titular character Rajamanikyam won millions of hearts and the movie emerged as one of the biggest blockbusters of Mammootty's career. You can watch the film on Disney+ Hotstar, Amazon Prime Video, and Sun NXT.
Pranchiyettan And The Saint
Well, Pranchiyettan aka CR Francis is unarguably one of the most lovable characters played by Mammootty, to date. The role of the Thrissur-based uneducated businessman with a heart of gold in this Ranjith directorial was tailor-made for the megastar. Not just the Thrissur dialect, but the veteran actor also portrayed even the little mannerisms of a typical ‘Thrissurkkaran’ from the way he expressed emotions (e.g., the way he shows surprise in the scene where he meets St. Francis Assisi for the first time), in the movie. If you wish to watch or revisit Pranchiyettan And The Saint, the film is currently streaming on Sun NXT.
Also Read: Kaathal The Core – 5 instances that we wish were explored more in Mammootty and Jyotika’s film
Paleri Manikyam: Oru Paathira Kolapathakathinte Kadha
On a personal note, I consider Mammootty’s performance(s) in Paleri Manikyam: Oru Paathira Kolapathakathinte Kadha one of his finest yet least discussed ones. The megastar appeared in a triple role as the cold-blooded landlord Murikkinkunnath Ahmed Haaji, his equally dangerous elder son Khalid Ahmed, and his illegitimate son Haridas Ahmed. The veteran actor tried a typical old Kozhikode dialect for the role of Haaji, while he spoke in a most sophisticated version of the slang with a mix of English language, for the role of Khalid. For the character Haridas, he opted for a modern Malayalam dialect. If you missed watching this stellar performance by the megastar, Paleri Manikyam is available for streaming on Sun NXT.
Loudspeaker
This Jayaraj directorial is yet another criminally underrated performance of Mammootty’s career. The National award-winner played the role of Mike Phillipose, a loud-mouth villager who hails from Thopramkudy of the Idukky district, in the film. The megastar not only won hearts with his endearing performance as Mike in the film, but he also astonished the viewers by mouthing his dialogues in the traditional Idukky slang to near perfection. You can watch this heartwarming Malayalam tragicomedy drama, on Disney+ Hotstar and Amazon Prime Video.