Malayalam cinema is dominated by two extremely talented scions who have been around for more than four decades now. They are Mohanlal and Mammootty. The Malayalam movie audience is divided into two categories, one who love Mohanlal and the other who are staunch followers of Mammootty. In fact, it seems as if the state itself has been divided into two parts for their two most loved actors.
However, one debate which has been going on ever since the two stars tasted stardom and got pitted against each other is that who among the two is better? Is it Mohanlal with his ever present charm and style? Or is it Mammootty with his charisma and dialogue delivery?
When it comes to versatility, both the actors have a way with different types of roles. If their career graph is proof enough, both the actors have doodled in diverse roles over the years and delivered the goods with conviction. Bharatham, Kireedam, Vaanaprastham, Vadakkunathan, Devasuram etc are some of the very diverse roles played by Mohanlal. On the other hand, Oru Vadakkan Veerakatha, Amaram, Vatsalyam, Pazhassiraja etc prove the versatility of Mammootty.
So, who is the better actor, afterall? Well, let us take a look as to what the fans think.
Mammootty Fans Say
Mammootty fans believe that he has played many historic characters with complete conviction like Chandu in Oru Vadakkan Veerakatha, Pazhassi in Pazhassiraja and Sardar Patel in Vidheyan, which is one area that Mohanlal has never dared to doodle in. Also given the fact that Mammootty has won more National awards that Mohanlal, he is definitely the better actor. His performances in films like Thaniyavarthanam, Vatsalyam, Amaram etc can be considered to be lessons in acting for the new breed of aspirants who are making a beeline to join Mollywood.
Mohanlal Fans Say
When it comes to fans of Mohanlal, they too have their fair share of arguments. According to them, Mohanlal too has National award 3 times including once under the Special Jury category. His flair for comedy is something that Mammootty definitely lacks. Also Mohanlal can shake a leg with style which Mammookka cannot. Some of Lalettan’s dialogues have become cult and are repeated by the youngsters just to make an effect among their contemporaries. Another great achievement that Mohanlal can boast of is that he has won more number of Kerala State Award than Mammootty. His portrayal of roles in movies like Vaanaprastham, Thanmathra, Kireedam, Vadakkunathan, Devasuram etc have taken Malayalam cinema to new heights.
Who is the better actor of the two? It seems there is no fixed answer to this question. Both the actors are extremely talented and versatile. Over the years, they have portrayed a wide range of roles with complete conviction and wowed the audience time and again.
As long as the two doyens continue to dish out movies left, right and center, the debate will go on. But, the fans are definitely not complaining. They are more than happy to be treated to the antics and histrionics of Mammootty and Mohanlal, the big question notwithstanding.
