5 min readKochiMar 20, 2026 07:09 PM IST
Ever since they made their debut in credited roles in 1980, Mohanlal and Mammootty have been assets to Malayalam cinema. Since the mid-1980s, when they attained superstardom, the two have also been the pillars of the industry. Although several new actors have stepped into the limelight since then and even achieved stardom, Mohanlal and Mammootty’s thrones remain unshaken. Even after four and a half decades, the two are each other’s sole competitors.
The unofficial battle between them, however, has never been just about box-office collections. In fact, the longstanding question Malayalees have been racking their brains over isn’t who among them is the biggest superstar, but rather who is the better actor. Although many have tried to find an answer to this question over the years, most Malayalees prefer it remain unsolved so the topic can instantly liven up their hangouts and drinking sessions.
Though the two have always maintained a strong, warm bond and have often spoken fondly of each other, their hardcore admirers rarely maintain such a cordial relationship, and fan fights are quite common among them. While there are quite a few who love both superstars equally, many prefer one over the other. And this has sometimes been the case with certain cultural organisations, too, who have clearly had their favourites.
In fact, legendary actor-screenwriter Sreenivasan once shared an anecdote about how Mohanlal’s association with a Bengaluru-based cultural organisation Bangalore Kalavedi, which began with it honouring him as Best Actor once, grew so large that he even became a key decision-maker in the selection process for the awards. The bond between Mohanlal and the association became so strong that they gave him the Best Actor award several times in a row. Hilariously enough, when the organisers and Mohanlal himself decided to give somebody else a chance one year and considered Mammootty, they faced disappointment as the Malayalam megastar straightaway turned down the honour, feeling the organisation had overlooked him during the years they favoured Mohanlal.
Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal at Empuraan’s teaser launch.
How Mohanlal became a cultural organisation’s permanent Best Actor
According to Sreenivasan, the association, formed by Malayalees in Bengaluru, had been organising award ceremonies for a few years and honoured excellent work in film direction, cinematography, screenplay, and acting, among others. “For six years, Mohanlal was consistently chosen as the Best Actor. After he won his first award, Mohanlal and the association members developed a close bond. Eventually, it became impossible for them to give the award to anyone else. Thus, Mohanlal became their permanent ‘Best Actor,’” the screenwriting legend shared during an old episode of a Kairali TV talk show.
Sreenivasan continued, “Eventually, Mohanlal himself became one of the decision-makers for the awards. Once, he suggested a change and urged the organisers to give the award to someone else that time. Though they were sceptical, Mohanlal insisted, and they finally decided to give the award to Mammootty. However, Mammootty was aware of the fact that the organisation had been honouring Mohanlal for the last several years.”
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Why Mammootty turned down the award
To inform Mammootty of his selection as their Best Actor and to invite him to the award ceremony, the organisation’s key members visited him on a film set. “After they introduced themselves and informed him about the purpose of their visit, Mammootty looked at them and said, ‘You’ve been giving it to the same person for years, right? It’s better you give it to him this time as well.’ Though they tried to convince him, pointing out that they had chosen him, Mammootty suggested it was better to change their choice and give the award to the person they had been honouring for years. Mammootty didn’t accept the award,” Sreenivasan, known for his unfiltered nature, added.
Nonetheless, both Mohanlal and Mammootty have won several prestigious national and state honours over the decades. While Mammootty has won the National Film Award for Best Actor three times, Mohanlal has earned it twice. Mohanlal is also a recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honour in the field of cinema. Both of them have also won the Padma Bhushan. While Mammootty has bagged the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor a record seven times, Mohanlal closely follows behind with six trophies. The two will soon be seen together in director Mahesh Narayanan’s espionage thriller Patriot, which is scheduled to hit the screens on April 23, 2026.
