Parvathy Thiruvothu on why Mammootty and Mohanlal are Malayalam cinema’s true 'legends'

For decades, Mammootty and Mohanlal have remained central to Malayalam cinema’s identity, their influence stretching well beyond Kerala to the wider Indian film landscape. For audiences, they are not just stars but “legends,” a label often used casually, but rarely unpacked. Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu offers a grounded answer rooted not in fandom, but in experience.

In a recent conversation with Pinkvilla, Parvathy reflected on her early encounters with both actors and what stayed with her long after the cameras stopped rolling. While their on-screen legacy is unquestionable, she pointed out that their reputation is equally shaped by something less visible but far more enduring: how they conduct themselves on set.

Her first brush with Mohanlal came when she was just 19. Looking back now, nearly two decades later, she describes it as a formative moment in her understanding of cinema itself. She remembers being struck less by the scale of his stardom and more by his calm precision as an actor, and by how fully present he remained even on a busy set that also featured veteran actor Jagathy Sreekumar.

At that stage in her career, she admits she was still figuring out what kind of actor she wanted to become. She describes herself as being very inexperienced and unsure about the craft at the time. Yet that early experience left a lasting imprint. It gave her a quiet clarity about the kind of discipline and ease she would one day want to bring into her own work.

What stayed with her most was not just performance technique, but behaviour. She observed how seasoned actors carried themselves, how they engaged with colleagues, and how they shaped the atmosphere of a set without any visible effort. In her view, this is where longevity in cinema is truly built. Making people around you feel at ease, she suggested, is as important as any box office milestone.

Years later, her perspective on Mammootty came with similar clarity, though in a different setting. She recalls the unmistakable aura that surrounds him when he arrives on set, a silence that naturally follows his presence. But she also noted that this sense of weight or stature quickly dissolves once the work begins. For her, that shift is essential because the actor and the character must always take precedence over reputation.

She spoke about the discipline required in such moments, especially during emotionally demanding scenes. The challenge, she explained, is not to be overwhelmed by the idea of stardom when performing opposite it. On set, she insisted, hierarchy disappears, and the focus returns entirely to the work. She believes that in front of the camera, all actors stand on equal ground, a principle that continues to guide her approach.

Parvathy’s collaborations with these two actors came at very different points in her journey. She first shared screen space with Mohanlal in Flash, a psychological crime thriller directed by Sibi Malayil. For a young actor still finding her footing, the experience felt less like a film credit and more like a learning space, one she continues to draw from even today.

More than a decade later, she reunited with Mammootty in Puzhu, directed by Ratheena. The film, which drew attention for Mammootty’s layered portrayal of a morally complex character, also gave Parvathy room to deliver one of her most restrained performances. The contrast between these two collaborations, she noted, mirrors her own growth as an actor over time.