'He hides the pain': Major Ravi on Mohanlal after his mother’s death

As Malayalam cinema mourns the death of Santhakumari, actor Mohanlal’s mother, director Major Ravi is grieving in deeply personal ways. Closely connected to Mohanlal’s family for over two decades, Ravi says Lal’s loss has reopened the unhealed wound of losing his own mother. Speaking to Manorama Online, he recalled the warmth and affection he received at the actor’s home in Thiruvananthapuram, and the quiet void Shanthakumari’s passing has left in her son’s life.

“When I heard that Lal’s mother had passed away, I couldn’t hold back my tears,” Ravi said. “I went to see Lal while crying, and he too broke down for a moment. There is deep sorrow in his eyes, but he is meeting everyone with great restraint. I can see the pain he is carrying inside.”

Ravi said Shanthakumari’s health had been failing for nearly a month. “Whenever I called, Lal would tell me, ‘Anna, Amma is lying down.’ Just hearing that, I could feel the ache in his heart,” he said. “There is a fear that once a mother is gone, a person becomes truly alone. No matter how many people are around you, there is a sense of insecurity that cannot be filled by anyone else. Lal does not show this pain, but I can see it.”

Calling a mother “a blessing earned in a lifetime,” Ravi spoke about the bond he shared with Shanthakumari. “My relationship with her was completely selfless. When I first met Lal in 1994, he invited me to his home in Mudavanmugal. His parents were both alive then, and I was introduced as a soldier. From that day on, our relationship was never just about cinema. It was built on affection.”

Ravi said her passing has left him shaken. “Since Amma left us, my eyes keep filling with tears. I can no longer walk in and call out to her,” he said. It has been 18 years since Ravi lost his own mother. “Watching the love between Lal and his mother often made me wish my mother were still alive. I used to visit Amma often. Sometimes she would look at me as if asking where I had been, and then we would talk, joke, and laugh. Every time I met her, she welcomed me with so much warmth.”

Ravi is currently at Mohanlal’s residence and plans to stay until the rituals are completed. “I will reach Thiruvananthapuram early tomorrow morning. Suresh Balaji and Appu are also arriving, and I need to bring them home. The ceremonies will be held tomorrow afternoon. I will leave only after everything is done,” he said.