It is perhaps because of his powerful dialogue delivery and expressive eyes that Mohanlal is regarded as one of the finest performers to have ever graced the big screen. Today, as the Malayalam superstar celebrates his birthday, here is a look at some interesting yet relatively unknown aspects of his life.
‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’ was not his first film: There is a popular perception amongst movie buffs that Mohanlal began his filmy innings by playing the lead role in the 1980 release ‘Manjil Virinja Pookkal’. This, however, is not entirely true. It was in 1978 ‘Lalettan’ got his first taste of acting when he played a significant role in a movie titled ‘Thiranottam’ which was made by some of his friends. It unfortunately could not get a proper release till 2005.
He has acted in a silent film: It was in 2005 that Mohanlal took a rather unconventional professional decision when he agreed to star in a short film titled ‘Reflections’. Directed by Bejoy Nambiar, it had a running time of just slightly more than nine minutes. The project helped the actor add another feather to his cap.
He is a loyal friend: It would be safe to say that Mohanlal is in many ways the personification of the old adage ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’. Sometime ago he was invited to attend a function honouring his buddy Priyadarshan. Despite been extremely busy at that time, ‘Lalettan’ travelled all the way from Palakkad to Trivandaram and attended the event thereby further strengthening his friendship with the filmmaker.
He is a macho man in real life: Mohalal’s ability to pull off breath-taking action scenes with absolute ease can by and large be attributed to his association with wrestling. Before entering films, the superstar won a state level championship in the sport. Moreover, some years ago the World Taekwando Federation, which has its headquarters in Seoul, conferred him with an honorary Black Belt, recognizing his contribution towards popularizing the sport in Kerala.
‘Iruvar’ is not his first Tamil film: It was in 1997 that Mohanlal entered the Tamil film industry, playing the lead role in ‘Iruvar’. The political-drama received a positive response from critics and audiences alike, enabling the actor to expand his fan base even further. The Mani Ratnam-directed venture, however, was not his first movie in the language. In 1991, ‘Lalettan had made a special appearance in the 1991 ‘Gopura Vasalile’. Directed by Priyadarshan, it was a comedy.
He refused to work with Vishal Bharadwaj: When Vishal Bharadwaj started work on ‘Saat Khoon Maaf’ he was quick to approach Mohanlal for the role of a police officer. Luckily for the director he agreed to be a part of the ambitious project. Things were going along quite smoothly when all of a sudden the megastar opted out of the film, stating that he wanted to concentrate on his Malayalam projects. A troubled Bharadwaj was forced to replace him with Annu Kapoor, depriving Bollywood fans of what would surely have been an enviable collaboration.
He took classes to get a driving license: Mohanlal considers Dubai to be his ‘home away from home.’ That is why some years ago the matinee idol applied to a UAE driving license. Getting the license, however, was not an easy task as he had to take 20 mandatory classes before being allowed to take the test. Needless to say, he passed the test with flying colours.
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