Hareesh Peradi slams Mammootty over 'Mattancherry Mafia' collaboration, asks 'Won’t people think you are promoting drugs'

The announcement of Mammootty and Khalid Rahman's upcoming project 'Mattancherry Mafia' has sparked intense discussions online. Amid the hype around the project, the conversation has now shifted from excitement to controversy with actor Hareesh Peradi questioning Mammootty about teaming up with Khalid Rahman who was earlier arrested in a hybrid cannabis case.

Harish Peradi’s sharp reaction

Actor Hareesh Peradi has openly criticized both Mammootty and Khalid Rahman. Taking to Facebook, Hareesh Peradi wrote, “If Mammootty felt that people might think he came in support of someone just because he stood with a public figure for a while, then won’t people also think he is promoting drugs when he chooses to work again with a director who was arrested in a hybrid cannabis case?”



Reference to earlier statement

Hareesh’s criticism is linked to a previous comment made by Mammootty during a visit related to the Wayanad township. At that time, Mammootty had questioned whether his presence alongside a public figure could be misinterpreted as political support.

Using that as a reference point, Hareesh raised a similar concern about public perception: “When Mammootty felt, ‘If I stand with a public figure for a while, won’t people think I came to support you?’, then why doesn’t he feel that when he decides to collaborate again with a director arrested in a hybrid cannabis case, people might think he is promoting drugs? I don’t know… I’m not sure what is right either.”

Reunion with Khalid Rahman

'Mattancherry Mafia' marks the reunion of Mammootty and Khalid Rahman after their earlier collaboration on the superhit film 'Unda'. Khalid Rahman is known for films like 'Love', 'Anuraga Karikkin Vellam', 'Thallumaala' and the recently released 'Alappuzha Gymkhana'. The upcoming project 'Mattancherry Mafia' also features Asif Ali and Naslen in key roles. Rex Vijayan composed the music, and Sushin Shyam composed the background score. On the other hand, Mammootty and Mohanlal are teaming up for 'Patriot' which hits the big screens on April 23.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”