Mammootty on winning Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor: ‘This is not a competition…’

Superstar Mammootty won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his stellar performance in Bramayugam.

Mammootty wins Kerala State Film Award for his stellar performance in Bramayugam.

Superstar Mammootty, who returned to the movies after an eight-month hiatus, won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor on Monday. He received the honour for his nuanced portrayal of Kodumon Potti in the horror blockbuster Bramayugam, which released last year. Directed by Bhootakalam fame Rahul Sadasivan, the film earned Mammootty his seventh Kerala State Film Award.

In an interaction with reporters outside his residence in Kochi, an elated Mammootty responded to questions in his trademark witty style. When asked if he would “lift” the award next year as well for his performance in the upcoming film Kalamkaval, Mammootty quipped, “Is this some measuring weight to ‘lift’?”

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The actor was also asked what made his character in Bramayugam stand out. He replied, “It was a very different character and a different story. I think that is the reason why it won.”

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Mammootty further addressed questions about competition from younger actors like Asif Ali and Tovino Thomas in the acting category. “This is a journey. There will be many who will accompany us on that journey. They are all friends in the journey who offer us strength. Let’s think of it that way. This is not a competition, right? It’s not a running relay.”

He also had a humorous comeback when asked about the younger generation walking away with the awards this year: “Am I something old then? I am also new, just like them.”

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Mammootty has previously won Kerala State Film Awards and special mentions for his performances in acclaimed films such as Adiyozhukkukal, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigaya, Mahayanam, Vidheyan, Ponthan Mada, Vatsalyam, Kaazhcha, and Paleri Manikyam, among others.

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