The many shades of Mohanlal’s movie mastery

Malayalam cinema megastar Mohanlal has had a majestic career filled with magnificent movies that have made a major impact.

With over 300 films to his name – including record-breaking blockbusters, pathbreakers and critically acclaimed masterpieces – he has been a dominant force since the 1980s.

Known for his natural acting style, the cinema icon has inspired generations, entertained millions and left an indelible mark on the Indian cultural landscape. He celebrates his 65th birthday next Wednesday (21).

Eastern Eye marks the occasion with an A-to-Z exploration of his life, career and impressive legacy.

Manjil Virinja PookkaIMDb

A is for acting debut: The first film Mohanlal worked on was Thiranottam (1978), which he co-produced with close friends. Various issues meant the movie took an astonishing 25 years to release. He made his big screen debut as the lead antagonist in Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980).

B is for bad guy: The newcomer made such a big impact as an antagonist in his 1980 debut that he was cast as a villain in numerous movies over the next few years. The prolific (see P) actor worked in nearly 50 films between 1981 and 1983.

C is for Company: He was introduced to Hindispeaking audiences in the 2002 crime drama Company, playing a senior police officer opposite Ajay Devgn and Vivek Oberoi in the story of warring underworld dons. Despite winning multiple awards and universal critical acclaim, Mohanlal largely stayed away from Bollywood.

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D is for directorial debut: After a prolific acting career (see P), Mohanlal made his directorial debut with Barroz. He also headlined the mega-budget 2024 fantasy adventure. Unfortunately for him, it was a major box-office failure.

E is for Elanthoor: Mohanlal Viswanathan was born in the village of Elanthoor in the Pathanamthitta district of Kerala on May 21, 1960. He is the youngest child of Viswanathan Nair, a former bureaucrat and law secretary with the Kerala government. He grew up at his paternal home in Thiruvananthapuram and later earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce.

F is for family: He married Suchitra, daughter of film producer K Balaji, on April 28, 1988. They have two children – Pranav and Vismaya. Pranav appeared in a few films, starting with his debut in Onnaman (2001), which starred his father.

G is for giving back: The star is known for his philanthropic efforts. In 2015, he founded the ViswaSanthi Foundation – named after his parents – to support underprivileged communities in healthcare and education. He has also served as a goodwill ambassador for AIDS awareness.

H is for honours: With over 140 awards to his name, Mohanlal has received five National Awards, nine Kerala State Film Awards and nine Filmfare Awards. He has been conferred with the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan, India’s fourth and third highest civilian honours. He also holds honorary doctorates and a lieutenant colonel rank in the Indian Territorial Army.

IruvarReddit

I is for Iruvar: Mohanlal’s first non-Malayalam film was the 1997 Tamil drama Iruvar, directed by Mani Ratnam. Based on the life of MG Ramachandran, he played an actor who becomes a politician. The acclaimed film also marked Aishwarya Rai’s debut,s in a double role. The film won several awards.

J is for Janatha Garage: His most successful Telugu film, Janatha Garage, paired him with NTR Jr in a vigilante action drama. It became one of the highest grossing Tollywood releases and won multiple honours, including a National Award for Mohanlal.

Janatha GarageIMDb

K is for Kireedam: He won his first National Award for this 1989 drama, portraying a young man drawn into violence despite noble intentions. The film struck a chord with audiences and was later remade in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada.

KireedamIMDb

L is for laughter: Though known for intense roles, Mohanlal has an extensive body of comic work. His first major comic lead was in Poochakkoru Mookkuthi (1984), which launched a long-running collaboration with director Priyadarshan that included more than 40 films. Their hit comedies include Boeing Boeing (1985), Chithram (1988), Vellanakalude Nadu (1988), Kilukkam (1991) and Thenmavin Kombath (1994).

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M is for Mammootty: Rather than being rivals, Mohanlal and fellow Malayalam icon Mammootty share a deep friendship. They have often praised one another and costarred in many films, including 1998 mystery buddy comedy hit Harikrishnans, which had two alternate endings and was the year’s top Malayalam grosser.

N is for name: He was initially named Roshanlal by his maternal uncle Gopinathan Nair, before the family settled on Mohanlal. His father chose not to include the surname ‘Nair’, wishing to avoid caste associations.

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O is for Onnanam Kunnil Oradi Kunnil: Mohanlal sang in this 1985 film – one of several where he lent his voice. Others include Kandu Kandarinju (1985), Spadikam (1995), Chathurangam (2002), Balettan (2003), Run Baby Run (2012) and Odiyan (2018).

Narasimham Filmibeat

P is for prolific: One of the most in-demand and hardest-working actors in Indian cinema across the past 45 years, he has starred in more than 300 films. In 1986 alone, Mohanlal appeared in 36 Malayalam films, including the hits T. P. Balagopalan M.A. and Rajavinte Makan. This has not only given him a wide variety of works, but also brought in big money for the Malayalam movie industry and enabled him to break box office records several times with movies like Chithram (1988) and Narasimham (2000).

Q is for Qatar: The actor is massively popular in the country and has been a regular visitor, including for the FIFA World Cup to watch matches. There is also an official Qatar fan club dedicated to him. R is for record-breaker: The superstar actor has broken box office records multiple times. His 2025 sequel L2: Empuraan became the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of all time.

R is also for remakes: Mohanlal headlined the mega-hit Malayalam language crime thriller Drishyam in 2013 and its acclaimed sequel in 2021. It has since become the most successfully franchised movie in Indian cinema history, with official remakes in a massive number of languages including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, Sinhala and Chinese. An English language remake was also announced. A third instalment is in production, which will also get remade in multiple languages like the first two.

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S is for stage: Mohanlal is one of the few A-list Indian cinema actors to have successfully acted in theatre plays. These stage triumphs have included headlining Sanskrit language play Karnabharam in 2001, which he starred in free of charge, just for the joy of it. In 2003 play Kadhayattam, Mohanlal performed 10 classic characters and situations from Malayalam literature. Mohanlal collaborated with actor Mukesh for the plays Chayamukhi (2008) and Naga (2015).

T is for television: The actor has successfully hosted all six seasons of reality TV show Bigg Boss Malayalam. The seventh season premieres later this year.

U is for Uncle Bun: The actor transformed himself for the 1991 comedy, which was inspired by Hollywood film Uncle Buck (1989), with him taking on the role of the overweight uncle. His other films inspired by Hollywood included 1995 drama Nirnayam, which was loosely based on The Fugitive (1993).

V is for Vanaprastham – The Last Dance:The 1999 Malayalam drama saw Mohanlal win honours including a National, Filmfare and Kerala State Best Actor trophies. He plays a talented dancer from a lower caste who is judged by society and rejected by his father. The acclaimed dance drama received international acclaim and a National Award for best film.

Vanaprastham – The Last DanceIMDb

W is for wealth: One of the wealthiest actors in India, Mohanlal has regularly commanded high fees and secured major brand endorsements and lucrative TV deals. A big-thinking star, he also runs a large number of successful businesses, including restaurants.

X is for X factor: Being one of the hardest-working leading men in India has enabled Mohanlal to build perhaps the widest and most diverse body of work in Indian cinema. His versatility across genres has defined his career and inspired countless others to follow in his giant footsteps.

Y is for younger days: Mohanlal’s first role was as a sixth grader in a stage play called Computer Boy, where he portrayed a 99-year-old man. In his teenage years, during 1977 and 1978, he was also the Kerala state wrestling champion.

Z is for zodiac: Mohanlal is a Gemini. The star sign’s positive traits include being energetic, clever, imaginative, witty, adaptable, curious and intelligent. Geminis also tend to thrive in different environments and have strong communication skills.