The "ITCH" factor

As soon as you or your close family set sights on starting a new venture or doing something simple as renovating your house or purchasing a new phone, out of the blue appear before you some of your annoying relative(s) in the form of cousins,uncles & aunts, lets just call them the mosquito squad, either with a bunch of unconventional ideas of their own or advices that often lead you nowhere. They talk about the success story of Global billionaires and how we should follow their lead, and create a legacy that inspire our children and children's children. The more we begin to contradict their beliefs, the lengthier their "I have a dream" speech, so it is better to keep our mouth shuts for the eclipse to pass. Now, their mentoring play card  can be categorized into the following phases:

1. Mindgames 

Once you get to share your idea of the projects that you want to execute, the squad tries to manipulate you, emphasising more on the unforeseen consequences, even if  they don't really exist at all in the first place. You are fed with the so much negative vibes that you start to question yourself and might even consider dropping your plans and objectives. In other circumstances, they might give you hopes of  introducing you to the right resources that can help you attain your goals, however falling for their sugar coatings would only give you a reality check that fancy words are just fancy words and produce no productive results. Now, a few might pass the first stage with flying colours, thinking to themselves that they are free from the clutches of the envious for once and for all. Unfortunately this is as wrong as it gets as the second phase awaits them with a much higher dose of annoyance. 

2. The Overseer

After you are done with the initial phase, the so called mosquito squad will take up the role of an overseer, analysing your every move, ongoing works and actions. While you proceed with all the tasks that you have in front, evading all the turmoils, they perfect their skills as a layman's whistle blower, finding fault in even the most efficient things,and delivering your progress report that you never asked for.

3a.The Secret Coach

Finally if you somehow manage to make your project a success, then the squad takes up all the credit and will be more than happy in lecturing everyone about the influence they had on your project. Moreover, the success party you might intend to celebrate within your family circle, will be co-hosted by the mosquito squad, though you will be the one paying for all the expenses.

Now if the unfortunate happens, then they will appear before you as:

b.The critic of critics

When your longtime vision crumbles or when you incur irreparable losses in your project, then the same bunch will point their fingers at your inability in making your vision a reality. Unfortunately, their voices are heard everywhere in your family circle. In some cases they appear to be sad, though they are having a wonderful time inside their heads. A few others may sometimes make prejudiced statements or play the war of words on you, but ultimately would try to ease your mind, with certain things that might have added value to your efforts, had it been produced before you in the first place; however, their words and promises will never become fruitful actions under any circumstances.

So, no matter the challenges you face, believe in yourself, and always show respect for the old saying "Hard work pays off ". At the end of the day, it is always your close family that sticks with you till the very end. So never ever take them for granted.

Kerala's Biggest Social Media Stars in recent history

Social media has played a huge role in shaping the career of a whole lot of malayali talents, who have ever dreamed of money, fame and fortune to blossom in their ordinary lives. However, not everyone received  the same fate, as sometimes people get stuck in the curse of the "five seconds of fame" or "one hit wonder" status; and though to everyone's surprise, even if a few happen to reach a step further, they are most likely to be ranked in the list of people who have attained the viral sensationalism in the virtual reality world of entertainment. Quite frankly, a lot of them show the courage to step up to the challenge, but fail to keep up their momentum, making them just another spoke on the wheel, whereas some of them have fortunately managed to create a permanent mark in the minds of the common malayalis, thereby making a name for themselves; making most out of the god given talent, charisma, attitude,thought process,style,presentation,persona; and the "odd one out"  factor "luck", which could be the most differentiating, yet non analytical and unpredictable factor of the lot. Now I have compiled a list of the celebrities of the future, who have become household names in addition to being prominent social media players who,in recent history, has made fame and fortune to the best of their efforts. Of course, there are many more social media players out there, getting a lot of views for their projects, however not necessarily influential and a figure so popular to the remotest malayali viewer and, thus not included in this list. 

PS: The following personnel are not ranked in any order

1. Ahaana Krishna and Family

Actor Krishnakumar and family got more recognition than ever, since entering the magical world of social media. His eldest daughter, Ahaana Krishnan, who has just started to attain the "forefront actor"status might want to attribute part of her success story to Youtube vlogging, as she have set the gold standard for the rest of  her family, and stepping in her shoes are her siblings, making the most out of every opportunity that comes along their way. 

2.Santhosh Pandit

The man that showed the true power of social media to casual malaylis is quite possibly Mr Santhosh Pandit. He used the power of negative publicity to the fullest, a very risky move that roared unrepairable consequences, having the potential to destroy one's career in front of the public eyes. He showed the courage, determination and used all his tactics to attain a celebrity status, but a path almost impractical,unorthodox and non-recommended to say the least. Despite the criticism he faces for his film making efforts, he is praised for his humanitarian efforts by the public. 

3. The Gayathriofficial

She is a unique vlogger, a conglomerate containing topics that range from basic malayali lifestyle to youtube roasting /trolling cringe worthy content. Folks appreciate her videos that provide awareness regarding legal job opportunities and income generation available in the world wide web, along with her no BS approach towards controversial ads and related contents.

4. Arjyou

Following in the path of Youtuber-Trollmaster Ubaid Ibrahim is Mr Arjun Sundaresan, who single handedly elevated the art of trolling and video roasting to a whole new level. He showed everyone that it is not necessary to ooze artificial charisma, but how important it is to understand the pulse of the normal viewer to reach the "brass ring" of vlogging. To put in Layman's terms, he believed a lot in his own style n' swagger and kept everything real in his "trollability", that brought him tremendous success in the social media world.

5. Karikku

When a group of talented youngsters that share the same goals, joined hands to start a revolution in the entertainment industry, it resulted in the culmination of a spectacle known as Karikku. They brought fresh concepts styles and presentation to the sitcom genre of malayalam entertainment industry- the same that had been given an initial boost by Flowers'' Uppum Mulakum, became more than an over the night sensation, making a strong presence in the hearts of the Malayalis all over the world.

Cliches in modern horror flicks

Horror movies have gone as far as becoming a laboratory jar, filled with the same old formulae, that may have once fostered the genre to its peak, like never before. In the new cinema era , where seemingly every movie is a sequel, prequel or remake of an idea that was fresh decades ago, people are force fed in cinema halls with such recurring repetitive concepts, leading to the birth of bunch of horror cliches that have influenced many of today's horror flicks. Sadly, movie makers always try to use the ideas that have worked box office wonders in the near future, ultimately giving no promotion to movies that defy this usual procedure. So without further delay, lets look at some of the modern horror movie cliches:

1. Jump scare is the new horror

There were times when horror classics like The Exorcist, Halloween or Birds made commercial and critical acclaim for the kind of impact it brought to the genre of horror. Unfortunately today, most of us don't have the patience or interest in watching horror movies in cinema halls, that speak of fresh concepts and remarkable film making, wherein the genre has become a  mere "ghost chasing people in the dark" kind of thing. However, one horror movie that made its way to the cinema halls, having brought a different style of presentation to the entire genre in the recent past, was Ari Aster directorial "Hereditary". It managed to eliminate jump scares for much of its run time, unlike the movies that we see nowadays, and made us realise that horror doesn't necessarily mean mere pumping of adrenaline 24/7, and giving viewers unhealthy scare shocks from blind spots. However, James Wan, the man behind the horror franchise "Saw", also managed to create a movie by the name of Conjuring, which  had the unfortunate fate of bringing back tremendous power and fame to the jump scare bandwagon, by becoming one of the word's highest grossing horror movies of all time. 

2. Characters keep everything to themselves

Well unlike malayalam cinema, the characters in foreign cinema annoys the viewers by keeping everything to themselves. No matter how many times they get to feel or see the demonic presence, they don't even feel like sharing any of their nightmarish experiences to their family or friends, until the film reaches the interval mark. However, if they happen to go out of this usual cliche, then 9 out of 10 times, the rest of the characters will label them delusional.

3. "Bravest of the brave "children

The most exceptional aspect of western horror flicks are the child characters. They are braver than the heroes of our commercial flicks.Whenever they feel the presence of the evil spirit, they even give a try at confronting it, but never bother to wake their parents or relatives in any possible manner until their confrontation goes horribly wrong . In addition to keeping everything to themselves, they are not scared to sleep alone at night; although, they happen to be the primary target of the so called demonic entity. Kudos to the brave kids.

4. The "Electrifying" aura

Much like the white saree wearing "Yakshis" of malayalam cinema, a visual treat in most Vinayan movies, the Western horror movie directors have a thing for electricity. In modern horror flicks, the flickering of lights and bulbs is easily the trigger that alarms the audience, indicating that the ghost is on the run. If the movie ever deals with horror of the pre-electricity era, then usually a thump on the door is the warning sign.

5. The evil spirit is addicted to mind games

Evil spirit plays mind games with the characters for most of the time. They force you to undergo the scare tactics procedure for three-fourth of the movie. However, once the movie reaches the climax they change their stance; they appear even in day light, changing all their guerrilla warfare style of chase and make themselves ready to confront the characters face to face.  

The Crash TV culture is still a hot topic in Kerala !!!

The first time I ever came across the word Crash TV is when I got to learn of a man named Vince Russo,former head writer of the pro wrestling giant World Wrestling Entertainment, who is given the credit for introducing this concept in the late 90s to the world of Sports Entertainment. The concept included content that dealt with real life situations and emotions, either allowed or "added" for the benefit of gaining huge audience and better TRP (Television Rating Point). As a result, the shows got a lot edgier and darker, receiving lukewarm reception by the youth of yesterday, attaining wide stream popularity that led to movies,music albums, reality shows and soap operas to embrace controversial themes and contents, suitable only for ages 14+, bearing the message: "Viewer discretion advised". Though the concept is facing backlash today thanks to the growing social media, our casual malayali audience has started to think otherwise at least taking into consideration the support we show towards TV reality shows where their Unique Selling Proposition itself is attributed to the same. 

Nowadays, promos of entertainment shows involve artists often engaged in a war of words, that could either be real,or made realistic, highlighted in black and white, giving it a grey shade and shown in a very tense format, thereby creating a turmoil in the minds of the ordinary viewer who stays tuned to watch the program later. Most reality shows stresses more on the tears of talented artists who face the edge of elimination rather than the sheer brilliance they produce through their performances. Though, the producers of the same realise that people are bold enough to understand and disapprove the sometimes staged and scripted events, they are happy with the ratings/ TRP they receive, and are least concerned about the backlash they might receive for the kind of presentation they put out. 

Once an idea that we got inspired by, is now almost customary as we have started to remake foreign reality shows that changed the way we did and enjoyed entertainment. Channels have understood the importance of celebrity endorsements, that can help normalise concepts that once alarmed our society. In some unfortunate situations, some media outlets have participated in negative publicity stunts to attain viewers, often leading to personal attacks. Mr Santhosh Pandit was one person, who was ill treated by some of those media outlets in recent history for higher viewership. Though he is heavily condemned for his efforts in the entertainment scene, the negative publicity attack by the media might have done wonders for him as a person who lacked any cine-godfather or entertainment background, to develop mass viewership and mainstream popularity; a task deemed impossible for anyone that had to walk in his shoes. 

With this article I don't wish to criticise any medium or person that has ever used this phenomenon, but just to point out how "real is turned to reel" as a means of promotion; and as we progress on with the latest trends that affect our thought process, there will always be a target in mind, achieved via tactics of viral sensationalism that has no place for sincere and valued efforts. It is safe to say that no matter how cringe worthy we feel upon watching it, we still have shown some interest in giving it a look in the first place. This interest factor could be the very reason that has prompted channels to make use of this concept,drawing a huge audience with the aim of increasing ad slots, thereby finally progressing in the TRP competition. Perhaps it is not just the media but us viewers who have nurtured this concept and made it a success for eternity.

Why Michael Jackson's Dangerous deserves the "classic album" recognition?

Michael Joseph Jackson, the quintessential pop icon  revolutionized the music industry like no other as he made the most global albums and singles, breaking barriers and setting the gold standard of pop culture  for the future. Dubbed the "King of pop" by fans worldwide, he had made tremendous contributions to the cultural fabric and went as far on becoming the most successful entertainer of all time, an honour officially bestowed upon him by the Guinness world records back in 2006.  As an entertainer who began his dominance in the pre-internet era and despite, all the controversies that still haunt his legacy, he is more global and influential than any other modern day entertainer, which is definitely mind blowing to say the least, however not surprising. In his collaboration with the legendary Quincy Jones, Jackson had produced some of the greatest pop albums of all time, with their second collaboration "Thriller", becoming the world's best selling album of all time. However, by the dawn of the 90s, the media started to focus more on his personal issues, ignoring all the professional contributions he made at that time, with its primary target being his album "Dangerous" receiving lesser recognition compared to its predecessors.

Unlike his earlier works Dangerous was more of an album that emphasized on themes applicable to  folks all around the world; dealing with issues that called for international attention such as race, colour, peace,love, relationships and personal empowerment. The album had 14 tracks, 12 of those penned by Mr Jackson himself, and the single "Black or white"- a blend of pop and rock added with elements of early hip hop was both a critical and commercial hit, reaching number one wherever it got released as a single. The song was promoted using one of the most innovative music videos ever made, that drew a worldwide audience of roughly 500 million during its original airing. The song had infectious beats and popular drum sounds that seemingly had put the New Jack swing genre on the map.  Likewise, Grammy nominated single "Jam" could be praised as the song that gave confidence to music companies to promote songs that belonged to the rap or hip hop categories in later years, taking the same to mainstream popularity. The songs were more raw & energetic and the album's profound influence can be seen in the works of artists like Usher, Timberlake and Chris Brown who consider Jackson their biggest influence. The hits like "Remember the time" and "In the closet" saw Soul-R&B being given a rejuvenation and taken to higher platforms, that became club anthems that rocked the dance floors. He even did a follow up to his hard rock anthems "Beat it" and "Dirty Diana" through "Give into me" where he collaborated with former Guns n Roses guitarist Slash to make Dangerous an electric powerhouse, but kept the sounds and beats that influenced his vision.  To sum it up, he wanted to create an album of songs that related to all aspects of life, people of all demographics, backgrounds and taste; songs that appealed to all audiences, especially outside the native markets, to which the song "Heal the world", that peaked #2 in UK billboard charts, could be attributed as the song that most served this purpose, as it became kindergarten poetry all around the globe."Heal the word", often recognised as an unofficial sequel to "We are the world",co-written by Jackson, has the status of being the song that paved him the vision to create global anthems  like "Earth song" and "They don't care about us" in his album History:Past, Present and Future Book I, that possess a very powerful message, relevant to today's political economical and social scenario.

The one thing that we should embark on while discussing the Dangerous album is the fact that Jackson had complete artistic freedom while he worked on it, as he got to free himself from the powerful clutches of master musician and record producer Quincy Jones, who always took the major credit for the massive success of their previous efforts. So, with Dangerous, he had a chance to prove to the world, that he possessed the mastery to create an album that transcended across generations along with the  confidence to take up sounds that were once considered urban music; however, the talent he had showcased in writing and composing the aforementioned hits along with his use of the gritty vocal style and ability to create riffs using his beat boxing skills are criminally underrated.  

With Teddy Riley on his side, serving as a producer for the album, Jackson brought a drastic change with this album, when compared to everything that he has released prior to it. The album became a game changer to the new jack swing genre, infusing pop and rock music with funk-hip hop elements and street sounds. Though,the album was criticised for experimenting with fresh sounds, that led to its relatively lower album sales in the US, compared to his previous efforts, the album turned out to be Jackson's most famous album outside of the US and UK. With Dangerous, Jackson was able to tap into the fresh Asian Markets; where people began to play Jackson's songs on their music playlists. The number one single "Black or white" and its accompanying music video attained house hold level popularity across the globe, similar to what Thriller achieved in the US back in the 80s. Jackson in every sense became the world's biggest entertainer having huge massive fan base outside the native English speaking market, where his fans duplicated his famous Dangerous dance routine in stage programs, local festivals and talent shows, a phenomenon ever so present . Much like his performances, his songs had profound influence on world renowned musicians, like for instance, the Oscar winning Indian film composer A.R. Rahman who had sampled the intro bits of the song 'Who is it" for the musical score/theme song he created, played in flute, for his debut film project Yodha, a Malayalam language movie, released months after the release of Jackson's Dangerous album. What makes Jackson different from other artists is that unlike most other artists, Jackson had the ability to produce music of the future, creating sounds and styles that were unheard of in the past. The same can be said about his least commercially successful album "Invincible", which is perhaps one of the first albums that brought Dubstep music to the world.

Now, it is safe to say that he did music for common people to enjoy and dance to, rather than to boast of the lyrical complexity that most critics find solace in. The album was a victim of the media's attention towards his public image,which ultimately took away the credit he deserved for bringing a genre to the mainstream audience.The album sold about 30 million copies worldwide, and was a landmark album in the international market. The album that turns 30 next year may be ignored by most fans in the contest involving Off the wall and Thriller that decides his masterpiece album, however, just like its three predecessors,it should rightfully be given the "classic album" recognition that it truly deserve.

10 Acting Performances of Malayalam Megastar Mammootty that demands further appreciation !!!

A few days ago I wrote a similar article on superstar Mohanlal, see here, to which some of my friends, who read the same, happened to ask me to do a similar one on the ever young Malayalam Megastar Mammooty. In Mr Mohanlal's own words, Mr Mammooty is a "a disciplined  actor having a very high level of versatility along with the desire to do justice to his roles ". Infact, every malayali would agree to this, in addition to the fact that he doesn't age. When you see him on screen, you don't see him as a person but as a personality; his ability to bring out superlative performances along with his majestic voice modulation and the envious ability to do multiple dialects of the malayalam language is simply brilliant. So, its totally unfair that some of his masterclass performances are under appreciated which made up my mind to write an article on ten such performances which I feel demands further appreciation by critics and fans alike. As a matter of fact, you won't necessarily find any of the movies he did with the great Adoor Gopalakrishan nor movies like Soorya Manasam or Bhoothakannadi or any of his modern classics like Pathemari or Peranbu in this list. So without further adieu, lets get into the topic.

PS: The movies are not ranked in any order

1. Dany aka Daniel Thompson in Dany (2001)

Story and Direction: T.V. Chandran

The lead character Dany played by Mammootty is a multitude- the plot, the witness, and the victim of the ever changing political and social reforms of our state. This character portrays the life of an ordinary being who finds relief only in his better half- a saxophone. The movie introduces Dany as a good man's spirit who has no aims or ambitions, need or wants other than the companion of his musical instrument which he uses as the medium to connect to his emotions. Though, he initially gets caught in the changes that occupy his life, especially the one that comes in the form of a marriage to a rich man's daughter, he realises the old saying that "Not everything that shines is gold" as he becomes another victim of the upper class chauvinism , where his self esteem is crushed, wishes ignored, and emotions often undervalued. Director TV Chandran made a wonderful effort in drawing a strong contrast between the character Dany and the changing Keralian landscape, that faced similar highs and lows, showcasing Dany as a perfect representative for the same. Mammooty  has easily managed to dwell into the enigma of the society's ignored section; by enacting his role of a person who lived a life of silence and solitude; a person who relied on his saxophone for chewing up all his emotions and frustrations.In the final scene of the movie, a young girl on seeing his mortal remains would enquire who he is, to which his undying spirit would respond " Dany, Daniel Thompson"-A  nobody, perhaps a gentle soul, but a witness of the corrupted humanity, who loved the comfort of a saxophone that expected nothing in return. Though the movie was a masterpiece, Mammooty's performance as Daniel Thompson did not receive the applause it deserved; the movie itself was a victim of the larger than life movies and characters that stole the attention of the local folks. 

2. Ravishankar in Sukrutham (1994)

Story: M.T. Vasudevan Nair

Direction: Hari Kumar

Much like Mohanlal's Kireedom/Chenkol , this is one of those movies that viewers find it a bit uneasy to watch .With that being said, there is nothing wrong with the movie nor any of the performances, but people generally avoid movies having highly upsetting content. Mammootty amazes the viewer in the role of Ravishankar, a blood cancer patient who is survived by his wife and close relatives. In the movie, hope acts as a fictitious character that carries both positive and negative shades.  The movie depicts just how life can turn into a series of nightmares, based on how we value hope, and that giving up on life and dreams can create irreparable damages to one's existence. The mere  thought of nothing's gonna stay the same prompts Ravishankar to ask his loved ones to 'get over him' forever, a step that costs him his life. However, when he regains his composure and save himself from the clutches of the deadly disease, he is taught the hardest lesson that life may sometimes deprive you of a second chance and that its always important to not lose the one that mattered the most-hope. 

3. Murugan in Karutha Pakshikal(2006)

Story and Direction: Kamal                                                                                                                                                                  Mammootty plays the role of Murugan, a tamil migrant worker who struggles to earn a living for his three kids. He is a character who tries to shift the negative attitude of the society towards the down trodden, by being a positive role model to his peers; showing them the importance of self esteem and hard earned labour. Mammootty projects carefully constructed  balanced emotions while playing Murugan as he develops a very innocent bond with Suvarna, a dying  rich woman , who promises to donate her eyes, thereby providing a meaning to his blind daughter's life.  However things take an ugly turn, when her widower husband rejects the idea; as he stares away the poor daily wager. Though, the backlash makes him feel empty and cold inside, he hides his emotions from his children, smiling away his sorrow and despair,; but, proud of his blind daughter, who is unaffected by the entire episode; teaching Murugan that sometimes you don't have to see but feel all the good things that make up your life.

4. Bala Gopalan in Thaniyavarthanam(1987)

Story: A. K. Lohithadas

Direction: Sibi Malayil

Thaniyavarthanam talks about the tragedy of Bala Gopan, a simple school teacher, who becomes the victim of the evil superstitious beliefs and ignorant mindset of our society. A normal man who is pressurized and forced into becoming this new unstable person, only for committing the sin of being born as the nephew to a mentally disturbed being. Mammootty treats the character to a mix of emotions ranging from anguish to annoyance and finally grief as the world around him put him under the microscope deeming his every word, actions and reactions. Morever, the actor has effortlessly made the viewer ponder whether Bala Gopan indeed has really transformed into this new delusional being. The prejudice of the people, that once loved Bala Gopalan;  takes him to a new reality, where relationships didn't exist, truth never mattered and insanity took its toll on him. The feeling of being a burden for himself leads his depressed mother to decide his final curtain call. A must watch for malayalam movie fans. 

5. Chandradas in Paadheyam(1993)

Story: A.K. Lohithadas

Direction: Bharathan

Mammootty plays the character of a famous poet, Chandradas, who once, a man too salty and arrogant  wouldn't forgive Anita, the woman of his life who had committed a mistake that would tarnish his professional esteem. His conceit gets the best of him as he would put her and their daughter's life in line to satisfy his ego, as he deserts them to their agony. However, later on his conscience feels the remorse of his past actions and this becomes evident when the the movie takes a turn towards the phrase "Blood is thicker than water", as Chandradas becomes restless on seeing his grown up daughter years later during her performance of one of his works. This unplanned meeting puts him out of his usual self; prompting him to bond with his own flesh, blood and bones. When his daughter Haritha, played by veteren actress Chippy, learns of Chandradas' motives, she tries to walk away from the sad reality;however ,the more she does that, the more she longs for his fatherly presence. Not long could she contain the reality of leaving Harikumara Menon, the man who stepped into her life when it had hit rock bottom; a man who was more than a step father and a loving partner to his mother. Chandradas, initially hesitant towards the thought of leaving her daughter, realises the unsettled fire that spoke of the affection she had with her step father. Chandradas learn his lessons and for the better, evolves from being the arrogant, egoistic and selfish person, he once was  to a person who valued human emotions, as he would happily return his daughter to her "real" father. 

6. Balachandran in Sagaram Sakshi (1994)

Story : A.K. Lohithadas

Direction: Sibi Malayil

Balachandran, a self made businessman gets to marry the daughter of another rich tycoon, as he was the most sought after bachelor in the entrepreneur circle. Once he is blessed with the aforementioned, and after having accomplished the good life status thanks to his immediate family, he is mercilessly tested by the sadistic circumstances that leads to the death of his reputation & professional status. Mammootty has done a marvel of a performance as a man, whose complex negates his acceptance of failure, thus falling into a state of galloping despair that eats him alive. He succumbs to his inhibitions, and embraces the destructive path, for which he pays the price with his personal life. The uncontainable emotions expressed by Balanchandran during the scene where he is thrown on his face the 'thali' that his wife once proudly wore is quite possibly the one that stands out the most in this movie, prompting the filmmakers to make a movie poster out of the same. Further, when loneliness clings on his inner self, and his efforts to reclaim his life gone to dust, he is forced to confine to the learned helplessness. However, when he succumbs to his fate and starts a life of solitude and self respect, he gets haunted by the love, which was always kept intact by the woman of his life. He gets his only chance to make things right, as he finally relieves himself of the diseases that caught him off guard in his past life.   

7. A.S. Johny Varghese in Johnnie Walker (1992)

Story: Renjith

Direction: Jayaraj

Many would be surprised to find this movie in this very list. The movie has achieved a cult status years after its original release, but unfortunately did share the fate of movies that failed to connect with its audience at the time of release. The movie was a trailblazer, inspired by Hollywood themes, and Mammootty played the title character, A.S. Johny Varghese, a man who hid his true self and emotions to the enjoyment of his only family that was left, his brother. Jayaraj introduced malayalis to fresh concepts as he made a character whose swag was off the charts, a personality so cool and confident. However, the actor didn't fail to present a visual treat to the viewers as he shined in the segment, where Johnnie Walker loses the one person that ever mattered to him, and  as the latter is tragically put to rest by the evil cult, the  former displays a perfect 10 performance, as Johny weeps onto his brother's cold body. 

8. Captain Thomas in  Koodevide(1983)

Story and Direction: Padmarajan

Mammootty has a special talent when it comes to playing the shrewd, evil, and the egoistical being. In Koodevide, Captain Thomas,a military personnel is disturbed by a school student, who happens to develop an innocent relationship with his teacher, the lady love of the agitated soldier. His narrow mindedness turns away the sincerity of his lady love, as he cannot comprehend with the moral bond she shared with her student. The director impressed  the viewers by creating a character who turns from a restricted person to a cold individual; who proceeds to mark the X spot on the innocent student to let off his frustrations. However, when his evil side gets the best of him, he forgets the humane, embracing the madness that fed on his ego, and proceeds to do the unthinkable. 

9. V. Sukumaran in Nayam Vekthamakunu(1991)

Story and Direction: Balachandra Menon

One of the most underrated and less talked about movies of Mammootty, where he played the role of a politician who leads a simple life with his wife and their only son. a man devoid of greed and the desire to rule the ordinary. Mammootty, as V. Sukumaran ,did a wonderful job in being a person who gets immersed in the glory of attaining the unexpected where he becomes a new form, other than what he really is. He has managed to enact a person who becomes a little less stable as he is not able to function in his life, where he falls into a void, that steers his life into depression until he lets himself of the new found power and puts him back to his true self in the company of  his wife and son. A good family classic by Mr Balachandra Menon.

10.Murikkinkunnath Ahmed Haaji, Haridas Ahmed and Khalid Ahmed in Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathira Kolapathakathinte Kadha(2009)

Story: T.P. Rajeevan

Direction: Ranjith

As mentioned in his recent blockbuster "Madhura Raja", he has actually pulled off a 'triple strong' performance in Paleri Manikyan, where he has nailed not one but all three of his characters. As Murikkinkunnath Ahmed Haaji, he has  played the role of a sinister feudal lord devoid of any remorse, selfish and having no boundaries for his desires. Mammootty made a mockery of all the negative performances that we have seen in most movies through his portrayal of Ahmed haji, as the unrivaled sadistic and power hungry dictator. The second  character, Haris Ahmed, his forgotten son-  the polar opposite of his father , investigates the death of a girl named Manikyam, rumoured to be murdered  by his own predecessor. Haridas, a man of honour, but possessed by the staggering desire and determination of his biological father finds the authenticity of  the aforementioned rumour. This leads him to the royal heir of Ahmed Haaji, a man that shares all the traits of his father, but a man who always maintained a status so clean before everyone; yet couldn't hide the same before his own conscience. When Haridas proves to Khalid that the latter is indeed the true evil heir of their sinister father, he runs away from the truth that resurfaced on his him, thus giving up on his own life.

Do you agree with this list. Drop your comments below.