Film is good, but did not like the title: How Mammootty's honesty encouraged a filmmaker

As the film industry celebrates Mammootty being conferred the Padma Bhushan, stories about the actor’s legacy have begun to surface from unexpected corners. Beyond the towering performances and decades of acclaim, many of these anecdotes speak of something quieter but just as significant. His attentiveness to new filmmakers and his willingness to engage with small, often overlooked films.

One such story comes from filmmaker Rasheed Parakkal, director of the modestly mounted film ‘Kuttante Shinigami’. In a social media post that has since struck a chord, Rasheed recounts an experience that, in his words, explains exactly why Mammootty deserves one of the country’s highest civilian honours.

Rasheed recalls receiving a call he never expected. Mammootty had watched ‘Kuttante Shinigami’ and wanted to speak to him directly. The feedback was honest and unvarnished. “The film is good, but I didn’t like the title,” Mammootty told him, looking straight at him later on a film set. There was no attempt to soften the critique, only clarity and respect. What surprised Rasheed even more was Mammootty’s awareness of the work of other new filmmakers. He not only remembered another director’s film but could also recall a specific song from it.

The chain of events, Rasheed writes, began shortly after ‘Kuttante Shinigami’ was released. Producer Ashraf Pilakkal informed him that Mammootty had watched the film, called Jaffer Ikka to congratulate him, shared his thoughts with Indrans, and even asked who the director was. At the time, Rasheed found it hard to believe. It sounded too generous to be true. Only after confirming the details with both Jaffer Ikka and Indrans did he realise that every word of it was accurate.

That memory returned with greater force during a later visit to Ernakulam. Rasheed, along with director Shafi Eppikkad, production controller Shoukath Ali, and producer Jackie Ali, had gone to narrate the story of another project, ‘Oralkoottam’, to Indrans. They soon learnt that Indrans was shooting near Town Hall, at the location of a major multi-starrer. It was the set of ‘Patriot’, a film that brought together Mammootty, Mohanlal, Kunchacko Boban and several other prominent actors.

It was Indrans who introduced Rasheed to Mammootty. Calling him closer, Mammootty greeted him warmly and repeated his earlier feedback about ‘Kuttante Shinigami’. He asked Rasheed about his previous work, listening closely when he mentioned that he had written and directed two films. When Shafi Eppikkad was introduced as the director of ‘Chekkan’, Mammootty immediately asked if it was the film with that particular song. Once again, his recall left everyone around him quietly astonished.

Amid the rush of the shoot, Rasheed found himself wondering how Mammootty manages to carry so many details with him. There was no opportunity for a photograph as the actor was in costume, but Mammootty shared his personal phone number instead. For Rasheed, the chance to stand beside such a towering figure and be spoken to as an equal felt like a rare privilege.

He admits that he had not shared this experience earlier because he had no tangible proof. But when ‘Kuttante Shinigami’ was recently aired on television, he felt compelled to finally tell the story. “It’s no surprise that he has been honoured with the Padma Bhushan,” Rasheed wrote, signing off with heartfelt congratulations to Mammootty.