Mohanlal, people’s beloved ‘Lalettan’, is nothing short of a deeply rooted emotion for fans and movie lovers. His cinematic career over the last four decades, has been impeccable to say the least. With his 1978 debut ‘Thiranottam’, he marked himself as a potential performer, and with his very next venture, the actor took on the role of an antagonist in ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’. After playing countless roles in different shades for over a decade, he began exploring the charming side of his persona, in films like ‘Nadodikkattu‘, ‘Chithram’, and ‘Thoovanathumbikal’. The actor effortlessly embodied his characters, making audiences feel they had seen him in their everyday lives. Titles like ‘Deshadanakkili Karayarilla’, ‘Thanmathra’, and ‘Bharatham’ further solidified his reputation as a finely honed actor.
However, like any other stars in showbiz, Mohanlal has also faced box office setbacks and criticism for poor script choices in the late 2000s. Discussions intensified among fans and critics when he underwent significant weight loss for the 2018 film ‘Odiyan’, an experimental movie that received a lot of negative reviews. The actor reportedly lost 18 kg in 51 days for his role as Odiyan Manikyan. For an actor with such an extensive career, taking such a physical risk was unusual, yet Mohanlal seized the opportunity to transform his body for the role. However, this aspect was overshadowed by fans’ concerns over losing Mohanlal’s charm and eye bags, reportedly due to a facial fat-loss treatment. The social media trend ‘Missing OG (Original) Lalettan’ gained traction from this point.
The director of ‘Odiyan’, VA Shrikumar, dismissed these criticisms in an old interview with Flowers TV, asserting that they were a targeted attack by his enemies. Let us now examine what went wrong in Mohanlal’s career that made fans yearn for the ‘original Lalettan’ they once adored.
‘It has nothing to do with his weight loss, it’s just the kind of films he’s doing’ – Lata Srinivasan (Film Critic)
In a recent conversation with ETimes, well-known film critic Lata Srinivasan stated that Mohanlal’s weight loss journey has nothing to do with his box office setbacks or fans’ concerns. She believes these issues arise from his choice of films.
“No, I don’t think it (the setback) has anything to do with his weight loss journey. In fact, I think the weight loss was beneficial because, given his age, he still acts as a romantic hero. You can’t have someone overweight and obese on screen, especially a superstar. You need someone fit. Look at Mammootty. Despite his age, Mammootty looks fit and convincingly pulls off roles as a cop or a family man across diverse genres. Mohanlal’s weight loss, in my opinion, was good. For instance, in Drishyam, a huge success for Mohanlal, he played a family man in a thriller, and his look worked perfectly. The issue lies with the roles he has been choosing, not his weight loss,” she explained.
‘It’s a wait-and-watch game for all of us’ – Kunal M Shah (Casting Director)
Meanwhile, casting director Kunal M Shah pointed out that Mohanlal’s transformation is a double-edged sword for an actor, who has dominated the industry for decades. “Whenever we talk about Mohanlal, we associate him with a certain persona. His weight loss and new look surprised many. While it’s commendable in terms of commitment, it might alienate some audiences who expect the persona and mannerisms they’ve grown to love. It’s a gamble. He can either establish a new dimension to his persona, or face backlash if audiences feel deprived of what they expect. Whether this new look is for a limited period or a long-term change, only time will tell. It’s a wait-and-watch game,” he told ETimes.
Why Mohanlal’s experimental movies didn’t resonate with audiences
Mohanlal’s collaboration with Lijo Jose Pellissery for Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024), was one of the most anticipated projects in Malayalam cinema. Pellissery’s innovative storytelling combined with Mohanlal’s iconic stature promised something extraordinary. However, while the film garnered critical acclaim for its artistic merits, it failed to meet box office expectations, leaving a section of Mohanlal’s fanbase disappointed. This disconnect between expectations and delivery sparked debates on whether audiences were ready to embrace Mohanlal in experimental roles. Similarly, his directorial venture Barroz faced criticism, as viewers struggled to accept him in a fantasy avatar.
The Mammootty-Mohanlal dichotomy
A comparison between Mammootty and Mohanlal is inevitable when discussing their film choices. Over the years, Mammootty has ventured into a wide range of unconventional roles, from ‘Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam’ to ‘Puzhu’, and received widespread appreciation for his willingness to challenge himself as an actor. His experiments have been met with open arms by audiences who seem to celebrate his evolution rather than resist it.
Mohanlal, on the other hand, carries the burden of a different kind of legacy. His persona as the charming, relatable, and versatile everyman is deeply entrenched in the Malayali psyche. From ‘Kilukkam’ to ‘Narasimham’ to ‘Drishyam’, his ability to seamlessly blend charisma with nuanced performances, has endeared him to generations of fans. This expectation of retaining his signature charm often clashes with his attempts at exploring unconventional narratives, as seen with ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’.
“Mohanlal, like I said, has more fans than Mammootty. He could have also been bitten by the pan-India bug and therefore his Barroz’s 3D was supposed to be a huge children’s film which would appeal to kids around the world. So I think that aspect is also there, given the kind of fans he has. He was bitten by the pan-India bug and wanted to do other films which would project him. Whereas Mammootty, I don’t think, has those kinds of ambitions. He is very happy catering to Malayalam cinema goers. In fact, I think Ekta Kapoor is supposed to be producing some film with Mohanlal, a pan-Indian film or something like that.” Lata Srinivasam added.
“The difference is, Mohanlal always does these big-budget experiments, whereas Mammootty does experimental films, which are on a very small budget. So even if you say they’re failures, they’ll still make their money through OTT and whatever. So financially, the risks are very low, whereas Mohanlal has always taken these high-risk experimental films, and he has a lot more fans. So if his fans reject the film, then the losses are much bigger as well.. Mammootty has a smaller number of fans as compared to Mohanlal, and for him, a hit is a hit. Like, you know, they work with the general audience as well. With Mohanlal, his fans drive a lot of his films. So if his fans don’t like it, then, of course, the failure is more colossal. Mohanlal takes high risks, and therefore the failures are also, you know, as big.” Lata further shared.
According to industry tracker Ramesh Bala, Mammootty is able to do movies quickly whereas Mohanlal takes time to do films. , “Mohanlal has seen super success, dizzying success at the box office with ‘Pulimurugan’, ‘Lucifer’, ‘Drishyam’ but Mammootty also has seen success but not the level of success of Mohanlal. When Mohanlal does experimental movies he does too much of experiment, ‘Odiyan’ and recently ‘Barroz’ , ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’, which released last week also tanked at the box office, but Mammootty does movies which are which are also experimental but not very much different genre. He is used to maintaining a balance. Maybe he is able to do the movies quickly both commercial and non-commercial but Mohanlal takes more time to do it and is more experimental and more long term so the failure is more visible so that’s kind of the comparison aspect between these two.” he told ETimes.
‘I still find him charming’ – Arun Vaidyanathan ( ‘Peruchazhi’ director)
Arun Vaidyanathan, who worked with Lalettan in 2014 movie ‘Peruchazhi’ reacted to people criticising the movie and its loose plot. “We aimed to create a movie like ‘Naked Gun’—no logic, silly humor, and plenty of references to other films. In fact, I asked Lalettan whether the Kerala audience would accept it, as I wasn’t familiar with that market. He gave me the confidence to try it. Critics didn’t quite understand the intention behind the film, especially after a blockbuster like ‘Drishyam’. After portraying the intelligent Georgekutty, they couldn’t accept Lalettan as the goofy humorist Jegannathan. However, there are still fans who message me, saying how prophetic the film is about elections and politics and that they’ve watched it repeatedly. As filmmakers, we continue experimenting, regardless of box office results or critics’ opinions.” Arun shared.
The filmmaker emphasised,“Regarding Lalettan’s weight loss and other changes, I still find him charming in whatever he does. These concerns will fade once he delivers his next blockbuster. Mohanlal has proven enough, and he is beyond box office failures.”
‘Mohanlal doesn’t dare to reinvent himself’ – CS Venkiteswaran
“If you examine the careers of Mohanlal and Mammootty, they’ve accomplished almost everything, be it the number of hits or the longevity of their acting careers.In the actor’s life, this is a time where you should be bold enough to reinvent yourself and risk-taking become crucial. Mammootty has excelled in this regard. Historically, his star persona was built around patriarchal, macho roles. Yet, over the last two decades, he has been bold enough to break away from this mould, taking on vulnerable and fragile characters. This adaptability has allowed Mammootty to remain relevant in contemporary Malayalam cinema, where the narrative styles and filmmaking have shifted away from hyper-masculine roles. He successfully recalibrated his craft to align with the changing times.” Film critic CS Venkiteswaran told ETimes.
He continued, “On the other hand, Mohanlal seems to have struggled with this transition. While he has consistently delivered massive box-office hits like Drishyam, Pulimurugan, and Kilichundan Mampazham, he has been less willing to step out of his comfort zone. He doesn’t dare to reinvent himself, Mohanlal appears constrained by his established star image and the expectations of his fanbase, which has limited his willingness to take risks and try radically different roles. Even Mammootty had his own fans, but he’s ready to break their expectations and recalibrate himself, his image, which is what an actor, an actor who is ready to take challenges should be doing.”
Form ‘L2: Empuraan’ to ‘Thudarum’ Upcoming films of the actor fans awaits
Mohanlal has a bunch of films in his pipeline which includes the much awaited sequel of his 2016 blockbuster ‘Lucifer’ titled ‘L2: Empuraan’ with Prithviraj Sukumaran and ‘Thudarum’ with Tharun Moorthy. He recently confirmed that he will collaborate with ‘Aavesham’ director Jithu Madhavan for a film.
Either way, Mohanlal remains a cultural icon, whose contribution to cinema has cemented his legacy. While audiences may debate his recent choices, the essence of ‘original Lalettan’, his ability to connect, entertain, and inspire, remains undiminished.
