An award beyond cinema? Mammootty’s Padma Bhushan and the politics of recognition

By Rosamma Thomas*

The announcement that veteran actor Mammootty has been awarded the Padma Bhushan—an award that recognises “distinguished service of high order”—was welcome. The question movie-watchers in Kerala were asking, though, was whether the award was actually for the actor or an olive branch held out to the people of Kerala by the Union government.

At 74, the actor is rather overripe for awards. The 2010 film "Pranchiyettan and the Saint" could get a new lease of life with the award—in that film, Mammootty played Pranchi, a character madly coveting the Padma award.

Mammootty’s career began at the age of 20, when he played an extra in the film "Anubhavangal Paalichakal" (1971), directed by K S Sethumadhavan. In a career spanning over half a century, he has acted in about 400 films—Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and Kannada—and taken on a rich range of roles, making him among the most versatile of actors.

As he aged, he appeared to have broken free of the expectations that shackle big film stars. He took on roles that made audiences relate to him not as the familiar actor, but as if for the first time, each time.

In "Vidheyan" (1994), directed by Adoor Gopalakrishnan, he played the role of an utterly exploitative, immoral landlord—a performance for which he won the National Award for Best Actor. In the 2022 film "Puzhu", the role he essays is of a man dealing with deep insecurity and paranoia; in "Kaathal" (2023), he plays a candidate for local body elections troubled by repressed homosexuality.

Mammootty is also part of a film culture in Kerala marked by rich storytelling. Art and commerce merge in the movies. Small films, rooted in local culture, have found enthusiastic viewers. Audience preferences, however, are fickle, and OTT platforms have made a world of difference.

Movie-making can be hugely loss-making. In February 2025, for instance, of the 17 prominent Malayalam films released, 11 flopped. One, "Lovedale", produced at a cost of over Rs one crore, earned only Rs 10,000 at the box office.

Despite the losses, the film industry in Kerala grapples with the problem of plenty—too many films are released simultaneously, fragmenting audiences. Yet, if those films feature either Mammootty or Mohanlal, who have both been acting for almost half a century, they are a cut above the rest. Mohanlal won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award last year, the highest honour in Indian cinema. Now, with the Padma Bhushan to Mammootty, Malayalam cinema is covered in honour. There are those asking whether these honours are indeed meant for cinema, for what plays on screen, or for what is still to come—the Assembly elections of 2026.

The Union government played spoilsport in December 2025, denying permission to screen six films earlier chosen for screening at the International Film Festival of Kerala. In discussions ahead of Budget 2025–26, Union Minister George Kurien, responding to accusations of bias against Kerala in the budget, declared that if it needed more funds, Kerala must declare itself backward. Kerala faces financial stress on account of the curtailment of allocations by the Union government—is there a way to paper over these problems? Can civilian awards to individuals cover up cracks in the federal polity?

---

*Senior freelance journalist

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Four women lead the way among Tamil Nadu’s Muslim change-makers

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* A report published by Awaz–The Voice (ATV), a news platform, highlights 10 Muslim change-makers in Tamil Nadu, among whom four are women. These individuals are driving social change through education, the arts, conservation, and activism. Representing diverse fields ranging from environmental protection and literature to political engagement and education, they are working to improve society across the state.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

When free trade meets unequal fields: The India–US agriculture question

By Vikas Meshram The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?

Why Russian oil has emerged as the flashpoint in India–US trade talks

By N.S. Venkataraman* In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.

Trade pacts with EU, US raise alarms over farmers, MSMEs and policy space

By A Representative A broad coalition of farmers’ organisations, trade unions, traders, public health advocates and environmental groups has raised serious concerns over India’s recently concluded trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, warning that the deals could have far-reaching implications for livelihoods, policy autonomy and the country’s long-term development trajectory. In a public statement issued, the Forum for Trade Justice described the two agreements as marking a “tectonic shift” in India’s trade policy and cautioned that the projected gains in exports may come at a significant social and economic cost.

Samyukt Kisan Morcha raises concerns over ‘corporate bias’ in seed Bill

By A Representative The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has released a statement raising ten questions to Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan regarding the proposed Seed Bill 2025, alleging that the legislation is biased in favour of large multinational and domestic seed corporations and does not adequately safeguard farmers’ interests.

Conversations from the margins: Caste, land and social justice in South Asia

By Prof K S Chalam* Vidya Bhushan Rawat ’s three-volume body of conversational works constitutes an ambitious and largely unprecedented intellectual intervention into the study of marginalisation in South Asia . Drawing upon the method of extended dialogue, Rawat documents voices from across caste, region, ideology, and national boundaries to construct a living archive of dissent, memory, and struggle.

Managing water in an era of climate stress: Indonesia’s governance challenge

By Alejandra Amor, Mansee Bal Bhargava Indonesia, like many fast-developing nations including India, is grappling with a deepening water crisis driven by both human pressures and climate-induced impacts. Despite being home to more than 1,000 river basins, a majority of Indonesian households continue to face serious challenges in accessing safe drinking water and sanitation. Water resource management remains constrained by high levels of contamination, excessive dependence on groundwater, declining water retention capacity, and inadequate wastewater management systems.

Search This Blog