Mohanlal’s ‘Manamantha’ is scheduled to be released on August 5th and the Telugu audience is all excited to see this Malayalam Superstar light up their screen. The resourceful actor plays an Assistant Manager in a supermarket and represents a typical middle-class working man with great dreams and optimistic view of the future.
Best known for his work in Malayalam films, Mohanlal is considered one of the greatest actors in Indian Cinema for his versatile and natural acting. Widely regarded as a cultural icon, he holds a matinee idol status in the popular culture of Kerala. In a career spanning over three decades, Mohanlal has acted in over 300 Malayalam films in various genres. Mohanlal has also acted in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films.
In 2001, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, for his contributions towards Indian cinema. He won four Indian National Film Awards – two Best Actor Awards, one Special Jury Award, and one Award for Best Film as producer; along with six Kerala State Film Awards for Best Actor and eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor. Mohanlal was elected as the most popular Keralite in an online poll conducted by CNN-IBN in 2006 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Kerala’s formation. In 2009, he became the first and the only actor to receive the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army of India and in 2010 he received an honorary doctorate from Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kerala.
The hallmark of Mohanlal’s acting is the spontaneity of performance. It is quite a well-known fact that he doesn’t seriously rehearse or prepare for his roles. He just becomes the character he is playing for the duration between ‘Action’ and ‘Cut’. For the audience, the best thing about Mohanlal is his versatility. It seems he can play absolutely any role under the sun convincingly. And unlike many versatile actors who have traded intensity owing to their versatility, Mohanlal can be most intense if the role demands, the proof being his performances in the numerous action films he’s worked in.
In recent years, he has concentrated on working on one film at a time to devote more to quality. A gentle human, he’d do films for friends regardless of the kind of project and the monetary returns. His jovial behavior with cast and crew has endeared him to one and all.
His commitment to his roles is seen in his involvement during the making of the film. It is a well-known fact that he learnt Bharatnatyam for his role in ‘Kamaladalam’ and learnt ‘Kathakali’ for his role in ‘Vaanaprastham’.
We mortals can only wait and pray to continue to be witnesses to the performance of his art while he continues to leave footprints on the sands of time through the medium of cinema.
