Mammootty considered becoming a film director as he feared being phased out of acting after consecutive flops: ‘He even accepted an advance’

Before becoming the megastar he is today, there was a phase in Mammootty’s career when pretty much everyone, including him, was certain his days in the film industry were numbered. During the mid-1980s, his movies, including good ones, bombed one after another, to the point where most people concluded that he would only get supporting roles going forward — and that, too, if makers were even willing to offer him roles.

Must Read | Mammootty was shocked seeing his remuneration for Mela, as his previous role earned him just Rs 50: ‘I’m going to have a blast with this money’

Mammootty’s unrealised directorial debut

Almost convinced that he would soon fade into obscurity, Mammootty, owing to his relentless obsession with cinema, decided to turn to film direction. In fact, his close friend, the late legendary actor-screenwriter Sreenivasan, once spoke about this, mentioning that Mammootty even asked him to write a script for him. “A little before the filming of our movie Naalkavala (1987), I suspect Mammootty had a nagging doubt that he might be phased out of acting soon. In fact, at that time, he had even accepted an advance amount from a person named Varghese, whom I knew, to direct a film. It seemed his plan was that even if he lost his footing in acting, he could sustain himself through film direction,” Sreenivasan shared during an appearance on a Kairali TV talk show.

Mammootty had also roped in his friend, actor-writer VK Sreeraman, to pen the script. Soon, they began meeting quite frequently for discussions, and this went on for months. “I had heard back then that the plot of the film he intended to direct was centred around the tribal community in Nilambur. It was while all this was happening that we met at the location of Naalkavala. One day, Mammootty suddenly asked me, ‘Can you write a screenplay for the movie I’m going to do?’ When I asked about Sreeraman’s script, he said it was already there but wanted me to write one,” the veteran actor shared.

ICYMI | Ilaiyaraaja slashed fee from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50,000 for Adharvam, made at Rs 22 lakh, as he loved Mammootty’s New Delhi; composed its 4 songs in just 30 minutes

‘MT Vasudevan Nair will write for me, but…’

Since he was already busy writing for a few other films, Sreenivasan didn’t give an immediate reply. “Mammootty then told me, ‘If I ask MT Vasudevan Nair (multiple National Award-winning screenwriter-director and a recipient of the Jnanpith award), he will write for me. But then, if that movie becomes a success, the credit will go solely to MT, won’t it? If it’s you, that problem won’t be there.’ Hearing this, I replied, ‘Oh, I see! So you want me to write a script for you so that you can take all the credit for the movie without giving me any, huh? Well, you won’t get a script from me like that!’ I took that as an opportunity to skip taking up the project,” Sreenivasan added.

Nonetheless, Mammootty did not have to turn a director to remain in movies, as he made a glorious comeback with director Joshiy’s New Delhi (1987), which not only gave him a much-needed blockbuster but also catapulted him to superstardom. He never had to look back after that. However, Sreenivasan said that the desire to try his hand at film direction did not leave the megastar’s heart immediately.

Mammootty as G Krishnamoorthy in New Delhi. (Credit: Facebook/@Mammootty)

‘What’s your opinion on me directing a film?’

“Years later, while we were travelling together in a car in Madras (now Chennai), Mammootty spoke about direction once again. ‘What’s your opinion on me directing a film?’ he asked. I quipped, ‘Wouldn’t it be better if I saved my opinion for after I’ve seen the film you direct?’ He then said he had a clear idea of how his movie should be from start to end, including all the shots. However, there was a catch: he did not have a story with him! ‘Without a story, what are you going to make?’ I asked. And that’s when even Mammootty thought about it. Basically, he just had some vague ideas. I don’t know if he said that in jest or seriously… Nevertheless, I felt that he had a deep-seated desire to be a director someday,” Sreenivasan shared.

WATCH: Chetak Screen Awards 2026 LIVE — India’s Most Credible Film Awards Are Back!