Anybody who comes out watching Jeo Baby’s Kaathal-The Core has gone through two prominent feelings: an empathy for all the people who reflect the characters from the film in the real world, and a heightened respect for Mammootty, who goes out of his “superstar” brand to try something no one of his stature would ever dare to try.

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Mammootty has been in showbiz for more than 50 years now and has savored decades of superstardom. His contemporaries who have shared the same amount of time in the industry and have enjoyed an immense amount of stardom today thrive on their past glory to stay relevant. It’s like they are trapped in their own stardom, with little to no options to challenge themselves as actors. But Mammootty, with his recent line of exciting and adventurous film choices is showing us that no stardom canvas can ever confine the passionate and curious actor he is.

Mammootty creates a significant Impact with Kaathal-The Core

By playing a closeted gay man in Kaathal, Mammootty redefines stardom. He does what none of his contemporaries would ever risk doing, and that is paying off for Mammootty.

It isn’t the first time a film on LGBTQ+ is being made in mainstream cinema. But it is definitely for the first time that a bona fide star of such fame, is not only helming the central gay character but is also backing it with his new production house, Mammootty Kampany.

It was obviously known to him beforehand that the film discussing such a subject would be banned in Middle Eastern countries, a major money-making market for Malayalam movies. But by proceeding with backing the film, despite that shows his commitment to creating art that speaks volumes.

When an actor like him, who has earned the love and trust of the masses over the decades takes up a role like this, it is sure to reach more households than usual, bringing the subject to the limelight in places where it might be looked down on. It makes a huge difference when a megastar highly celebrated for his hypermasculinity plays a character that crumbles into his father’s arms as he comes to terms with his sexuality.

Never Letting Stardom Shadow the Actor He Is

Recently, Mammootty has been bringing the best of both mainstream and artistic cinema, ensuring a proper balance between the two. In the Tamil film Peranbu, he not only plays a father to a physically challenged daughter but also a partner to a trans woman in the end. Anjali Ameer, a real-life trans person was cast opposite Mammootty in the film and it changed the face of trans representation on the big screen. Not to give entire credit to Mammootty, but his acceptance of this story arc obviously played a huge role in bringing it to reality.

Then there’s Puzhu, directed by Ratheena PT, where we see him in a role that shook us to the core. Despite the criticism he received for meddling the Hindu sentiments, Mammootty’s role in Puzhu was groundbreaking.

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2023 has been Mammootty’s year. With Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, another experimental film by Lijo Jose Pellissery, and Kannur Squad, a film that takes advantage of his mass appeal, Mammootty was already on a winning streak. Kaathal-The Core is just another golden feather in his hat.

Mammootty and His Unwavering Commitment to Cinema

In all these characters he has been playing recently, I see the passionate 19-year-old boy, studying law, who dreamt of becoming an actor one day. 50 years later, his passion and enthusiasm for the craft remains the same. He might be one of the biggest superstars the country has seen today, but he hasn’t let a bit of it restrict him as an actor. He has had his career slump where he tried to thrive on his yesteryear stardom and fame, but I guess he got bored of it and took a different route, a route that was true to his commitment and passion towards films. And things have never been the same, nor for him, or the viewers.

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