Although he has, over the years, come to be known as one of the finest actors in contemporary Indian cinema, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal’s entry into films almost didn’t happen. Had one more member of the audition panel given him poor marks, he might never have landed his debut role in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. In fact, one of the panellists — a filmmaking aspirant who served as the associate director of Manjil Virinja Pookkal — gave Mohanlal a shockingly low score of just two out of 100. Ironically, however, it was through a film directed by this very person that Mohanlal later won his first National Film Award. That panellist was none other than Sibi Malayil, who later became a legendary director and gifted Malayalam cinema several memorable movies, many of them with Mohanlal in the lead.
Recently, the superstar and the director took a trip down memory lane, fondly recalling that first audition when Sibi gave Mohanlal the lowest marks. “During my very first audition, Sibi was part of the panel. Later, I came to know that he was the one who gave me the lowest marks, just two out of 100. But that number two later became a turning point. I went on to win two National Awards through his films,” Mohanlal said during an event organised to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Sibi’s debut directorial Mutharamkunnu PO.
Fortunately, the other panellists — Manjil Virinja Pookkal’s director Fazil and Jijo Punnoose, son of Navodaya Appachan of Navodaya Studios, which bankrolled the film — gave Mohanlal over 90 marks. As they were the most powerful persons on the panel, their approval helped Mohanlal land the opportunity, and he made his debut playing the antagonist in Manjil Virinja Pookkal, which starred Shankar and Poornima Jayaram in the lead roles. The film went on to become a blockbuster.
Sibi Malayil and Mohanlal on the sets of His Highness Abdullah.
Mohanlal continued, “At a time when songs were slowly disappearing from Malayalam cinema, we did His Highness Abdullah. Films like Abdullah, Bharatham and Kamaladalam helped bring Malayalam film music back into prominence. In Kamaladalam, I played a dance teacher. I kept asking Sibi how I was supposed to pull off such a role. I told him I could only do what I was taught… how could I act as a dance master? But Sibi believed I could.”
Watch SCREEN’s interview with Mohanlal’s Hridayapoorvam co-star Sangeeth Prathap
“I even tried to get out of it by telling him I was already working on Rajashilpi at the time, and that character had a long beard. I told Sibi it would be difficult to constantly change my look. He replied, ‘Then just grow a beard. A dance teacher with a beard is fine.’ Apparently, that’s how it is in his hometown. That’s how he embraced the challenge, with full confidence,” the actor added. While Mohanlal’s first national recognition came through Sibi’s Kireedam (1989), which earned him a National Film Award – Special Mention, he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor for Bharatham (1991), also directed by Sibi.
“Before Lal even started acting in films, I was the one who tried to push him out. I gave him two marks, thinking, ‘he doesn’t belong here’. I was trying to let him go politely. But in Mukesh’s words, ‘it didn’t work.’ It gives me immense joy that I could offer meaningful characters to such an extraordinary talent, someone who has stood tall for over 45 years, not just in Malayalam cinema, but across Indian and world cinema,” Sibi added.
