Mammootty says Mukesh Ambani ‘doesn’t use all the money he earns,’ keeps making more for ‘pleasure’

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How Mammootty stays in love with acting even after 5 decades

But what keeps him from taking a step back, relaxing, and doing easier roles that don’t demand so much from him? After all, there’s nothing left for him to prove in this field. How does he stay in love with his job even after five decades? “It’s only human,” Mammootty shared during a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, adding that he no longer needs more money to lead a safe, comfortable life.

“Why do these politicians, even when they are 90 or 100, still want to be in politics? Why does Mukesh Ambani continue to make so much money? It’s not for him… he’s not going to use all the money he’s making. It’s for the pleasure they get. I am not comparing myself to Ambani here. All I am saying is, it’s human. Whatever you have, you will need more. That is greed,” the Malayalam megastar noted.

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Pointing out that there have been several artistes who harboured the dream of dying on stage while performing close to their hearts, Mammootty noted that acting, for them, is like the air they breathe. “If you invite a very weak man — unable to even move now, but who was once a very good actor — for a role, he would come and try to do his best,” Mammootty pointed out.

Mammootty talks about MR Radha

He further recalled hearing that renowned Tamil actor-politician MR Radha, even when extremely weak physically and requiring the help of at least two people to walk, would immediately transform into a powerhouse performer once he was in front of the camera. “Even when he was very weak physically, people still cast him in different roles. He would be sitting somewhere on the set, and when the director called him for the shot, two people would bring him. They would have held him tightly until the director yelled, ‘Start, Camera.’ Upon hearing ‘Action’, the helpers would immediately leave, and Radha would perform with full strength. There have been actors like that.”

Mammootty was last seen in a full-length role in director Jithin K Jose’s Kalamkaval (2025). He is currently gearing up for the release of director Mahesh Narayanan’s Patriot, which marks his on-screen reunion with fellow superstar Mohanlal after 17 years. Also starring Nayanthara, Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Darshana Rajendran, Revathy, Rajiv Menon, and Zarin Shihab in key roles, Patriot hits the screens on May 1.