‘The complete actor’ is not just a sobriquet, but Mohanlal’s legacy

Mohanlal’s counterpart Kamal Haasan had once said that after Sakalakala Vallavan (1982), he decided that he would never do another film like that. Kamal hated that movie and he made no secret about it. He had described that movie as ‘crass’ in more than one interview. And he mentioned that only after doing that movie did he decide what he shouldn’t be doing. Fun fact, Sakalakala Vallavan was one of the most commercially successful movies in Kamal’s career.

Even though Kamal makes movies meant for mass consumption, he always tries to make a fine combination of art and commerce. Within the confines of commercial cinema, he has touched many taboos and constantly changed the definition of mainstream cinema. Arguably, he created a niche space within the commercial market. Some films clicked, but many didn’t. He created his own league, which was not appealing to everyone.

On the other hand, Rajinikanth’s all movies were designed to be uncomplicated, easy-to-digest, and fun entertainers. In the process, it left behind a section of people who craved movies that challenged them intellectually, tickled their fascination and widened their perception of the world.

Mohanlal, however, has created such a body of work, which has catered to every audience in the spectrum. He is like a key, which can open the doors of great artistic feats or unlock the gates of run-of-the-mill mindless entertainers. He’s just a tool and it totally depends on a director’s whims as to how to use him. He’s only as good as his last director.

If that director is Mani Ratnam, you get a performance of a lifetime. You get to see an actor in a flow state, channeling the most earnest response to the narrative cues in Iruvar, which is sort of a training ground for aspiring actors. If Mohanlal is in the hands of Priyadarshan, you get a reservoir of memorable movies spanning various genres (Kaalapani, Kilukkam, Chithram to name a few).

Mohanlal fully surrenders to the vision of a director. And that’s what has allowed him to churn out such a sprawling oeuvre. For a Narasimham, there is a Dasharatham. For an Ittymaani: Made in China, there is a Varavelpu. For a Villain, there is a Sadayam. For an Odiyan, there is a Lucifer. He appeals to the brightest of connoisseurs of movies as an artistic expression. And he also strikes a chord with an audience, who just wants a 3-hour-long escape hatch to forget the hard realities of life. Such is Mohanlal’s range as an actor.

“I have done a nude scene. That film had no problems when it was submitted to the censor. But, a couple of days after it was released in theatres, the scene was edited out. I don’t know why. Director Blessy didn’t ask me any permission whether I am okay with shooting nude. Or I didn’t ask Blessy if he had an alternative if I refused to do it. It was in the script and I performed it,” Mohanlal had said while talking about his character in Blessy’s film Thanmathra (2005).

To put it like Bruce Lee, Mohanlal is like water. If a director puts him in a cup, he becomes the cup. If he is put in a bottle, he becomes the bottle. If he’s put in a teapot, he becomes the teapot. He takes the shape of whatever container his director puts him in.

Therefore, Mohanlal’s title of ‘the complete actor’ is befitting his illustrious body of work.