When Mohanlal recalled how his mother was shocked to see him as a villain in ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’

Veteran actor Mohanlal, who has ruled Malayalam cinema for decades, often speaks about destiny, patience, and quiet faith. Behind that long, legendary journey stood his mother, Santhakumari Amma. Her presence shaped his early years. On December 30, 2025, Mohanlal lost his mother at the age of 90, a loss that deeply moved the actor and his admirers. In an old interview, he had once recalled how shaken his mother was when she first saw him on screen as a villain in the movie ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal.’

His mother’s shock at his villainous role

When ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’ was released in 1980, Mohanlal’s parents watched it on the very first day. The reaction inside the theater stayed with him forever. In an old article written by Bhanuprakash in Mathrubhumi, he recalled, “As my scenes appeared on screen, women sitting nearby would say, ‘Oh no, Kaalan is coming.’ Hearing that, my mother’s heart would truly shudder.” His father, he added, was equally disturbed. Yet Mohanlal always saw Narendran, the character he played, as a blessing. He believed the role carried him forward, lifting him step by step into cinema’s vast world.

How he got the role that changed everything

After completing his degree, Mohanlal never mapped out a clear future. “After completing my degree, the question of ‘what next’ never really crossed my mind.” Plans to make a Tamil film fell apart. Hope returned when a newspaper advertisement caught their eye: “Navodaya invites new faces for its upcoming film.” There were no proper photographs. Doubts followed. “Even when I saw the photographs, I doubted myself.” Fate intervened at the last moment. The application went out just in time. A telegram arrived the very next day. At the audition, confidence grew. “Even today, I believe that Fazil and Jijo did not make a mistake in choosing the villain of Manjil Virinja Pookkal.” Their belief marked the beginning.

Remembering Santhakumari Amma

Santhakumari Amma had been under treatment for age-related ailments and was living at Mohanlal’s home in Kochi. She was brought to Kochi after suffering a stroke.
The funeral of Santhakumari Amma will take place today in Thiruvananthapuram.


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