Sharjah: Malayalam actor Mammootty injected a shot of glamour into the 35th Sharjah International Book Fair on Monday evening and treated his fans to anecdotes from his life and career.
“When I saw my first film, I decided I wanted to be an actor. At that point, I didn’t even know what acting meant, but I was ready to do anything … I was ready to jump through fire,” said Mammootty in Malayalam.
The self-made actor, who has ruled the box-office for decades in Kerala, has acted in over 350 films and has won several national awards and Kerala state awards.
But the actor claims he blossomed during his college days in Kochi.
“That was the beginning of my artistic journey. Some of my professors who taught me arts were exemplary and the atmosphere was conducive to those interested in arts … They encouraged me. But did you know, I was a comedian during my college days? Nobody expected me to move to serious roles … I was such a clown,” said Mammootty in Malayalam. But that fun side of his personality wasn’t on display at the annual literary fair. He kept his answers succinct and claimed that he wasn’t a fan of boasting.
“I don’t think I have traversed paths that require me to speak at length about it. I don’t like talking about my achievements,” said Mammootty. He’s often described as a guarded actor who’s smug about his superstardom.
“But it’s you fans and your love that give me the aura of arrogance and pride. You are my biggest strength,” said Mammootty. However, when his ardent fans asked questions during the session, he kept his responses curt.
The answer to “when can we see you and your son Dulquer Salman unite for a film” by a fan was answered with: “I am wondering the same.”
When another fan asked him about being perceived as an arrogant star, the actor categorically said that it wasn’t up to him to change people’s perception and that they should change their mindset instead.
The actor also spoke about his love for reading and urged everyone to pick up a book.
“My interest in reading began when I started reading detective novels … Books transport you to different worlds … And reading books aloud may have helped me in acting too,” said Mammootty.
