Javed Akhtar lauds Mohanlal’s sweet gesture for Mammootty amid Sabarimala offering row; Kerala Minister slams critics: ‘Their great friendship is…’

Days after Malayalam superstar Mohanlal performed a special offering for his colleague and dear friend Mammootty during his visit to the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta, Kerala — a receipt of which went viral on social media without the actor’s knowledge — a controversy has erupted, with a section of people finding it unacceptable that prayers were offered at a Hindu temple for Mammootty, considering his Islamic faith. They claimed that this was against Islamic beliefs, although the temple is open to people of all religions.

Amid this row gaining momentum, earning comments both in support of and against it, legendary screenwriter-lyricist Javed Akhtar has stepped forward to laud the L2: Empuraan star’s sweet gesture for his friend. Slamming narrow-minded people who find fault in their actions, Akhtar also expressed hope that every person in the country has friends who shower them with such unwavering and unconditional love, irrespective of the faith they believe in.

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“I wish every Mammootty of India had a friend like Mohanlal and every Mohanlal had a friend like Mammootty. It is obvious that their great friendship is beyond the understanding of some small, narrow-minded, petty and negative people; but who cares,” Javed Akhtar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

After a receipt showing details of the offering Mohanlal made at Sabarimala for ‘Muhammad Kutty’, Mammootty’s birth name, born under the nakshatra of Vishakham, went viral online, some demanded that Mammootty apologise to the Muslim community if the ‘puja’ was done with his knowledge. While this sparked significant debate online, the news also caught the attention of Kerala Minority Welfare Minister V Abdurahiman, who condemned the statements. Abdurahiman also demanded that those who made such narrow-minded and uncivilised statements regarding Mohanlal’s offering apologise to the public.