Mammootty’s mini story, written for friends, finds a wider audience

Veteran actor VK Sreeraman has shared a rare and delightful piece of writing by Mammootty, offering fans a glimpse into a lesser-seen side of the superstar. The short, humorous story, originally written by Mammootty in a friends’ WhatsApp group, was posted by Sreeraman on his social media page. Mammootty himself described the piece as “a story about acting”, and the anecdote has since struck a chord with readers for its wit, warmth and quiet metaphor.

Set during a film shoot at a tribal settlement deep inside a forest, the story begins with an unusual set of performers: three trained hens and a rooster brought in to act for the scene. During a break in filming, the narrator notices a charming exchange between one particularly beautiful hen and the rooster, their playful gestures resembling a mild quarrel.

The next morning, however, the mood shifts. When the narrator arrives on set, he is informed that the hen seen the previous day has gone missing. As the producer of the film, the responsibility of ensuring the bird’s safety weighs heavily on him. He immediately asks the production manager to search for the missing hen, his thoughts spiralling into worry.

At first, he wonders if the rooster had harmed her. But the sight of the rooster calmly pecking at feed, completely unfazed, only heightens his anxiety. Where could the hen have gone? Her graceful feathers, her walk, even the curve of her beak run through his mind. Suspicion soon falls on a black dog that had been brought to the location for another scene. Had it carried her away under the cover of darkness? The narrator sits with these troubling thoughts for a long while.

An hour later comes the revelation. The production manager returns with unexpected news: the beautiful hen has not met a tragic end after all. Instead, she has eloped with a strong, handsome wild rooster from the forest. The narrator turns to look at their rooster once more and suddenly understands his earlier indifference. It was not apathy, but loss.

Just then, the assistant director calls out that the shot is ready. Carrying the weight of the rooster’s silent heartbreak, the narrator walks back into the scene.

Mammootty signs off by calling it “a true imaginary tale”, a playful contradiction that underlines the story’s charm. Shared casually among friends and later brought to the public by VK Sreeraman, the piece has been warmly received by fans, who have enjoyed seeing Mammootty’s observational humour and storytelling instincts shine through in this brief, evocative vignette.