1971–1982: Early career Mammootty made his onscreen debut as an extra in
K. S. Sethumadhavan's
Anubhavangal Paalichakal (1971) at the age of 20. He made his second appearance in an uncredited role in the 1973 film
Kaalachakram, directed by
K. Narayanan. He was cast in a small role as a boatman. It was in this film that he said his first dialogue. In 1975, he acted in the theatre drama
Sabarmathi. After his graduation from
Maharaja's college in 1976, Mammootty began his practice as a lawyer in
Manjeri. During this time, he met his mentor
M. T. Vasudevan Nair, who cast him in a pivotal role in
Devalokam (1979). However, due to financial constraints and conflicts among cast and crew, the film stopped shooting halfway. As the film did not get a release Vasudevan Nair cast him in a minor role in
Vilkkanundu Swapnangal (1980), directed by Azad and scripted by Nair, his first credited role. During the filming of
Vilkkanundu Swapnangal, Mammootty met and got closer to
Sreenivasan. When
K. G. George was looking for a newcomer with a "smart and handsome personality" as a daredevil motorcycle jumper for his film
Mela (1980), Sreenivasan suggested Mammooty's name while they were shooting at the Raymon circus at
Ernakulam.
Mela was the first Malayalam film to feature him in a prominent role. He was then cast in a supporting role in Vijayachithra Combines' big budget action film
Sphodanam (1981), directed by
P. G. Vishwambharan. He was credited as "Sajin" in the film as Vishwanbharan felt that the name "Mammootty" did not suit an actor. The same year, he made his first-ever appearance as a lead actor in the Malayalam film
Thrishna (1981), which won the
Filmfare Award for Best Film. Later that year, he appeared in a supporting role in
I. V. Sasi's political film
Ahimsa (1981), which earned him the
Kerala State Film Award for Second Best Actor. The next year, he starred alongside
Bharath Gopy in K. G. George's epoch making
Yavanika (1982), as a police inspector who is on the search for an unpopular tabla player of a travelling drama group who suddenly disappears.
Jijo Punnoose experimented Mammootty in a negative role in the epic period drama
Padayottam (1982). I. V. Sasi cast him in a pivotal role in
John Jaffer Janardhanan (1982), the Malayalam remake of
Manmohan Desai's Hindi film
Amar Akbar Anthony (1977). He was then cast in a major supporting role in Sasi's political drama
Ee Nadu (1982), which was a major commercial success, becoming the highest grossing South Indian film of the year. Mammootty played supporting roles in most of the films released during the year. He had 23 of his films released during the year.
1983–1986: Experimentation and breakthrough In 1983, he started to transition into leading roles.
Balu Kiriyath experimented with Mammootty by casting him as the lead in the comedy drama
Visa, which was declared a hit at the box office. In his next film,
Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu, directed by P. G. Vishwambaran, he played the role of a
libertine lawyer who takes up the case of a female physician who is charged with medical negligence. The film became a major commercial success, running for 250 days in theatres. A critic of
The Indian Express wrote, "Seema, as Dr. Bala gives a stand out performance, being particularly impressive in highly emotional sequences. She is matched in acting by Mammootty, who is advocate Jayamohan." In 2017,
The Times of India described Mammootty's role as one of the "astounding advocate roles he has given life to".
Sandhyakku Virinja Poovu is credited with solidifying Mammootty's status as a
leading man. He then starred in Vishwambaran's
Pinnilavu, a film about a fight of ethics between a father and son. A multi starrer, it was also a commercial success, running for 150 days in theatres. He then starred as an antihero in P. Padmarajan's classic
Koodevide. In the film, he plays the role of a jealous and possessive lover of a boarding school teacher. The film was a major commercial success. Anandu Suresh of
The Indian Express wrote, "Mammootty here adeptly navigated a range of emotions. But particularly impressive was his depiction of Thomas' jealousy, triggered by Alice's close bond with one of her students, a mother-son-like one which Thomas misconstrues as romantic. Mammootty skillfully showcased Thomas' descent into villainy, capturing his character's sinister demeanour and willingness to go the extra mile to win Alice's affection just for himself." His pairing with
Suhasini was very successful and was continued in films like
Ente Upasana (1984).
Koodevide was also selected for screening in that year's Indian Panorama. It also won the
Kerala State Award for Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. He then collaborated with director
Joshiy for the first time for
Aa Raathri. Critics consider
Aa Rathri to be a trendsetter. It is regarded to be the first of the Kutty Petty films, tear-jerker family-drama tragedy of the 1980s. Films of this genre typically featured a happy family in the beginning, with a well-placed husband-cum-father, a young mother and a girl child of the age of 3 or 4. In the end, the family gets into a whirlpool of relationship problems. Other notable releases of the year were supporting roles in Fazil's
Eettillam and I. V. Sasi's political
Iniyenkilum. Reviewing
Iniyenkilum for
India Today, Sreedhar Pillai wrote, "Mammootty easily outshines everyone else as the villainous politician." In 1984, he starred as the smuggler Tharadas in I. V. Sasi's
Athirathram. The film achieved considerable commercial success and the character of Tharadas gained a cult following among the youth. Mammootty, who was considered a
bankable leading actor was propelled to
superstardom with the success of the film. Owing to the popularity of the character, it was reprised by Mammootty in
Balram vs Tharadas (2006). He then starred in I. V. Sasi's
Kanamarayathu, an adaptation of the 1912 novel
Daddy-Long-Legs by
Jean Webster. In the film he plays the role of the sole successor of a rich business empire who falls for an orphan girl younger than him.
Kanamarayathu explores the concept of
relationships between couples with a large disparity in their ages, which challenged Indian social mores. Upon release the film received critical acclaim and became a commercial success. For his performance as Roy Varghese, Mammootty won his first
Kerala Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor. The film has over the years accumulated a
cult following and is now considered a
classic in Malayalam cinema. He then starred as a police officer in
Bharathan's
Ithiri Poove Chuvannapoove. The film explores the relationship between a police officer and his younger brother, who becomes a
Naxalite. It was a critical success and had a successful soundtrack. He then appeared in a supporting role in the
art house film,
Akkare. In the film he portrays a
non resident Malayali. The film is a satirical take on the obsession, especially of the middle class of other's lifestyle. He then starred as a vengeful fisherman back from prison in I. V. Sasi's
Adiyozhukkukal. The film was a commercial and critical success. Mammootty won his first
Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and his first
Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam for his performance as Karunan. He also starred in I. V. Sasi's
Aalkkoottathil Thaniye, a box office hit. In 1988, film scholar Vasanthi Shankaranarayanan wrote, "
Aalkkottathil Thaniye shows the changing image of woman in contemporary Malayalam cinema. From weak and enslaved to strong and independent."
Aalkkottathil Thaniye, the screenplay was released as a book by
DC Books in 2009. That year he also starred in several Kutty Petty films that received negative critical reviews but were successful at the box office, notable of which were
Sandarbham, Koottinilamkili and
Chakkarayumma. The former of which was a major box office hit, running for 150 days in theatres. It was one of the highest-grossing films of the year. The genre had now become synonymous with Mammootty, being renamed the Mammootty-Kutty-Petty film. The following year, he starred in Padmarajan's
Thinkalaazhcha Nalla Divasam, based on the radio drama
Ammaykku Vendi by Sajini Pavithran
, in which he plays the role of a man who wants to sell his ancestral house and put his mother in an old age home. The film explores the layers of family relationship in a rural setting threatened by urban culture and explains how the imminent breakdown of the joint family is prevented by a death. Upon release, the film was critically acclaimed, winning the
National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam that year. He then starred in I. V. Sasi's
Anubandham, scripted by M. T. Vasudevan Nair, the film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning four Kerala State Film Awards that year. He collaborated with Nair and Sasi once again that year with
Karimbinpoovinakkare, in which he played the role of Shivan, who in a state of rage kills his best friend due to a misunderstanding and explores how he repents for his sin. The film was a commercial success. He then, starred as Ravi Varma, a millionaire on death row for killing his wife in Joshiy's
Nirakkoottu. The film was a major critical and commercial success, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of that year. The film won the Filmfare Award for Best Malayalam film. He then starred as a forest officer who is mistaken for a Naxalite, arrested and jailed for many years in Balu Mahendra's romantic drama
Yathra. The film tells a fictional story but is built upon the human rights violations by the police and the prison authorities in India during
the emergency of 1975–1977, when the fundamental rights of the citizens were suspended. It is an adaptation of the 1977 Japanese classic
The Yellow Handkerchief. The film was released to widespread critical acclaim, winning the Kerala State Film Award for
Best Film with Popular Appeal and Aesthetic Value. It was declared a blockbuster, running for 200 days in theatres, becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year. For his performance, Mammootty won the Filmfare Best Actor Award for his performance in
Yathra, as well as a
Special Jury Award for his performances in both
Yathra and
Nirakkoottu. In 1986 alone, he acted in about 35 films, including a brief appearance in
Mazha Peyyunnu Maddalam Kottunnu. In 1986, he teamed up with
I. V. Sasi for the film
Aavanazhi, which was written by T. Damodaran. Mammootty appears in the lead role as Balram, a police officer. Both
Inspector Balram and
Balram vs. Tharadas are sequels to this film. The film was a huge hit at the box office. The film ran for over 200 days. The film was remade in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.
1987–1990 Following a series of flops, Mammootty found commercial success with the crime thriller
New Delhi (1987), directed by
Joshiy and written by
Dennis Joseph. He played G. Krishnamoorthy, a victimised journalist who systematically arranges the killing of politicians who had implicated him under false charges.
New Delhi was a commercial success, becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film released at that point. After its release,
Rajinikanth, wanting to remake the film in Tamil, offered to buy the rights from Joseph, but the rights for Kannada, Telugu and Hindi-language remakes were already sold by that time. In the same year, he played Balagopalan, a school teacher who is deemed mad by society owing to a superstitious belief, in the drama
Thaniyavarthanam, directed by
Sibi Malayil and written by
A. K. Lohithadas. It won the
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Malayalam at the Filmfare Awards South. Mammootty's performance received acclaim from film critics. In the first of his several releases in 1988, Mammootty appeared in the comedy film
Manu Uncle, directed by Dennis Joseph. Mohanlal and Suresh Gopi made cameo appearances in the film. It received the
National Film Award for Best Children's Film at the
36th National Film Awards. Mammootty played an investigator called
Sethurama Iyer in another film,
Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, which served as the first instalment in the CBI series. The film set box office records both in Kerala and
Tamil Nadu. The film's one-year theatrical run in Tamil Nadu continues to remain an all-time record. That year, he also appeared in the
Sibi Malayil-directed
action film August 1, which was based on the novel
The Day of the Jackal, by
Frederick Forsyth. The film's rights were sold in Tamil Nadu for a record-breaking price at the time. Additionally, Mammootty and I. V. Sasi worked together on three projects in the same year: the romantic film
Abkari, the drama
Mukthi and the war film
1921. In the latter, Mammootty played Khader, a
World War I veteran who joins the
Malabar rebellion. The film, which cost over 1.2 crore to produce, earned 2 crore during its theatrical run. The story is adapted from the English movie
Chase a Crooked Shadow. The story is about the relationship between two brothers. In the same year, he acted in a film which is considered as one of the best crime thriller in Malayalam cinema,
Adikkurippu, written by
S. N. Swamy and directed by
K. Madhu. The movie has won four
National Film Awards, including
Best Actor(Mammootty),
Best Screenplay(M.T Vasudevan Nair),
Best Production Design and
Best Costume Design(
P. Krishnamoorthy). The movie has selected as Best Malayalam Movie in
Filmfare Awards, also the movie has won seven
Kerala State Film Awards. In an online poll conducted in 2013 by
IBN Live, as a part of Indian Cinema completing 100 years, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha listed as the third greatest Indian Film of all time. In the same year, Mammootty starred with
Sukumaran in the
Mystery-
thriller film Utharam, written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair. The story was based on the short story No Motive by
Daphne du Maurier. Utharam is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam cinema. Second movie in
CBI (film series),
Jagratha released in the same year. It is considered as one of the best investigate thrillers in Malayalam. In 1989, Mammootty appeared as hunter in
Mrigayaa, Directed by
I. V. Sasi and written by
A. K. Lohithadas. The movie was a major success and I.V Sasi won the
Kerala State Award for Best Director. In 1989, Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in
Kerala State Film Awards for the movies Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, Mrigayaa and Mahayanam. The movie has become one of the highest-grossing film in the year. Mammootty played the role Kunjachan which is a character from the novel Veli written by
Muttathu Varkey. Mammootty made his Tamil debut the same year with
Mounam Sammadham. N. Krishnaswamy of
The Indian Express wrote, "Mammootty plays the no-nonsense hero in the film with such dignity, poise and grace." Mammootty won Best Actor Award in
National Film Award in 1990 for the movie
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and
Mathilukal. The film focuses on the prison life of Vaikom Muhammad Basheer and the love between him and Narayani, a female inmate of the prison, who remains unseen throughout the film. The movie was critically acclaimed and considered as the best classics of Malayalam Cinema. The movie has won four
National Film Awards. Mammootty appeared as Alexander in the 1990 in a
Gangster film Samrajyam, Directed by
Jomon with music composed by
Ilaiyaraaja. The movie has commercially a major success at Kerala and Andhra Pradesh box-office. In 1990, Mammootty was part of
No.20 Madras Mail directed by
Joshiy. Mammootty done a cameo role as himself and
Mohanlal was in the lead role.
1991–1994 In 1991, he starred in
Amaram, directed by
Bharathan and written by
A. K. Lohithadas. Mammootty played the character Achootty, an uneducated fisherman who wants his daughter to be educated and wants her to become a doctor. The role helped Mammootty to grab another Filmfare award for Best actor. In the same year he has done two Tamil films
Thalapathi and
Azhagan. Both the films were commercially successful. Thalapathi is adaptation from the Hindu Epic,
Mahabharata. In the same year, Mammootty joined with I.V Sasi for two movies,
Inspector Balram and
Neelagiri. Inspector Balram was a sequel to his 1986 film
Aavanazhi. The movie was commercially successful. In 1992, he acted with Kannada actor
Vishnuvardhan in the action thriller movie
Kauravar. Mammootty played the character Putturumees in the movie
Soorya Manasam, who is a mentally challenged man who lives with his mother in a small village. Mammootty was critically acclaimed for the role and the movie is based on 1937 American Novel
Of Mice and Men by
John Steinbeck.
Sowcar Janaki played the mother character. In the same year he acted in movie
Pappayude Swantham Appoos, directed and written by
Fazil. The movie explores the relationship between a father and son. The film was both commercial and critical success and ran for more than 200 days. Mammootty done his entry to Telugu industry through
Swathi Kiranam in the year 1992. In 1993, Mammootty joined with
Joshiy for an
Action film Dhruvam. It was
Vikram debut in Malayalam Cinema. The film was a super hit at the box-office. In the year Mammootty won the
kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and for the movie
Vatsalyam, directed by
Cochin Haneefa,
Ponthan Mada directed by
T. V. Chandran and
Vidheyan directed and written by
Adoor Gopalakrishnan. He also won
National Film Award for Best Actor for the movie Ponthan Mada and Vidheyan at the same year. In the year Mammootty done a Tamil movie
Kilipetchu Ketkava, directed by
Fazil. Mammootty made his Bollywood debut with the 1993 release
Dhartiputra 1995–1999 In 1995, the combination of the writer
Sreenivasan and director
Kamal created the character Nandakumar Varma, who is a college professor in the
romantic drama Mazhayethum Munpe. He acted as an aggressive yet honourable
District Collector Thevalliparambil Joseph Alex
IAS in his following release, a
Political thriller film
The King. It became the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that time. In the same year, he starred in the
Tamil political thriller Makkal Aatchi, directed by
R. K. Selvamani and produced by Thirupur A. Selvaraj under Aarthi International. The film's music was composed by
Ilaiyaraaja. The film was also dubbed in Malayalam as
Ente Naadu. The movie was clashed with
Rajinikanth starrer
Muthu at the same time and Mammootty took the lead over Rajinikanth in Tamil Nadu. The next film he acted in was
Hitler written and directed by
Siddique. The film was remade in several languages. The film was a commercial success at the box office and was the highest grossing Malayalam movie, breaking his own movie record The King at that time. The movie has run over 300 days in theatres. He also did a direct Telugu movie in the same year
Surya Putrulu, directed by
C. Umamaheswara Rao. The film was a moderate success at the box office. In 1997 Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in Filmfare Awards for the performance in the movie
Bhoothakkannadi, directed by Lohithadas. It is considered as one of the finest performance in the actor career. In an interview, Mammootty revealed that he want to direct the movie with
Rajinikanth in lead. In the same year Mammootty done two Tamil films
Pudhayal, directed by
Selva and
Arasiyal, directed by
R. K. Selvamani. In 1998, Mammootty played the role of an IPS officer in the investigation thriller film
The Truth, written by
S. N. Swamy and directed by
Shaji Kailas. He played the lead role in
Oru Maravathoor Kanavu, which was the directorial debut of
Lal Jose in 1998. In the same year, he starred in
Harikrishnans, co-starring
Mohanlal and
Juhi Chawla. The movie has two climaxes, and
Shah Rukh Khan was supposed to do a pivotal role, but didn't happen for unknown reasons. in the same year, Mammootty done a guest appearance in the
Bollywood movie
Swami Vivekananda, directed by
G. V. Iyer. In 1999, Mammootty won the Best Actor in National Film Awards for the movie
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, directed by
Jabbar Patel. The performance is considered as one of the finest one in his career. The movie is produced by
National Film Development Corporation. Mammootty joined with
Priyadarshan in the same year for the movie
Megham, which is a commercial success.
2000–2009 In 2000, Mammootty did a cameo role in
Narasimham, in which
Mohanlal did the main role. The movie was a huge success at the boxoffice. With the huge success of Narasimham, director
Shaji Kailas, joined with Mammootty in the same year for another action drama
Valliettan. The movie was also a huge success in box office. 2000 was one of the best year for the actor in box office performance, after the huge success of Narasimham and Valliettan, Mammootty continued the success with the movies
Dada Sahib and Tamil movie
Kandukondain Kandukondain, co-starring
Ajith Kumar and
Aishwarya Rai. Both movies were blockbuster in box office. Mammootty won the Best Actor Award in
Filmfare Awards in 2000 for his performance in
Arayannangalude Veedu. He continued his box office reign in 2001 too. In the year, he began with
Rakshasa Rajavu, directed by
Vinayan. The movie was a huge success in box office. He has done the lead role in
N. Lingusamy directorial debut
Aanandham in the same year. The movie was a commercial and critical success. Mammootty also acted in
Pattalam, by director
Lal Jose, in which he plays an Indian Army officer, Major Pattabhiraman. The movie made an average performance in the box office. In 2004, he acted in the third instalment of
CBI,
Sethurama Iyer CBI. The movie has become the second highest-grossing movie of the year. Mammootty won
Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare awards for Best Actor for the performance in the movie
Kaazhcha. The movie was the directorial debut of
Blessy. The movie got many critical receptions from all over. In the same year he appeared as a police officer in
Ranjith movie
Black. The movie was a box office hit. 2005 was one of the best year for the actor in both box office and in performance. He was seen in never seen characters in the movies like
Thommanum Makkalum,
Thaskaraveeran and
Rajamanikyam. In this, Rajamanikyam was industry hit. The movie has created and broke many records in the box office. The actor was seen in a never seen character. Other releases were
Rappakal,
Nerariyan CBI which is the fourth instalment of
CBI (film series) and
Bus Conductor. These movies all made money in box office. The characters in each film were different in each others. The actor was totally controlling the box office in the year. In 2006, the actor continues his performance in box office and was utmost care in choosing the character. Mammootty started the year with action comedy film
Thuruppugulan, which was a super hit in box office. The next release was
Balram vs. Tharadas, which was the sequel of
Athirathram and
Inspector Balram.
Katrina Kaif played the female lead in the movie and the only Malayalam movie she acted. At the end of the year actor changed to do off-beat movies such as
Karutha Pakshikal and
Palunku. The actor was nominated in the National Awards for Best actor at the year. He won the Best Actor in Filmfare Awards for the movie Karutha Pakshikal. He started 2007 with the off-beat film
Kaiyoppu. Then he back with the comedy action film
Mayavi, directed by
Shafi. The movie became the highest grosser in the state in the year. The next was
Big B, which was the directorial debut of
Amal Neerad. The movie was an average grosser in box office but still manages to completes more than 100 days in Kerala box office. After the release of the DVD of the movie the movie got many appreciation for the cinematography and editing. The movie redefined how to make a mass action movie to be made in Mollywood. Mammootty won the appreciation for the slow-motion walking and the background music is still trending. In the year the actor shown his box office and performance power in the movie
Katha Parayumpol. He done an extended cameo role in the movie. The movie was remade in three languages,
Kuselan in Tamil,
Billu Barber in Hindi and
Kathanayakudu. All the remakes failed in the respective box office. Mammootty was appraised for his performance in the movie. He begin 2008 with action film
Roudram, directed by
Renji Panicker. Mammootty joined with Anwar Rasheed after the industrial hit
Rajamanikyam. This time for the comedy action movie
Annan Thampi. The movie was a superhit in the boxoffice. The movie done a huge business all over. Telegu rights has sold for a record price until that time. His next releases were
Parunthu,
Mayabazar. He done a cameo role in
One Way Ticket in which
Prithviraj Sukumaran done the lead role. These movies didn't done any boxoffice wonders. After that he did the lead role in the biggest multistar movie in Malayalam
Twenty:20, directed by
Joshiy. In 2009, he done the all-time blockbuster
epic period drama film Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja, written by
M. T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by
Hariharan. the film has collected around 49cr in box office. He also done performance oriented movies like
Kerala Cafe and
Paleri Manikyam. He won Best Actor Award in both Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards for the movie Paleri Manikyam. In the same year he done the action comedy film
Chattambinadu, another performance oriented movie
Loudspeaker and the directorial debut of
Aashiq Abu,
Daddy Cool. These movie has done Hit status in boxoffice.
2010–2019 In the year 2010, Mammootty acted in the films
Drona 2010, directed by
Shaji Kailas,
Yugapurushan, directed by R. Sukumaran,
Pramaani, directed by
B. Unnikrishnan,
Pokkiri Raja, the directorial debut of
Vysakh Abraham,
Pranchiyettan & the Saint, directed by
Ranjith,
Best of Luck, directed by M. A. Nishad and
Best Actor,
Martin Prakkat's debut film. His films
August 15, directed by
Shaji Kailas,
Doubles, directed by Sohan Seenulal,
The Train, directed by
Jayaraj,
Bombay March 12, directed by Babu Janardhanan and
Venicile Vyaapari, directed by
Shafi appeared in 2011. In 2012, his films included:
The King & the Commissioner, directed by
Shaji Kailas, the Kannada-Malayalam bilingual film
Shikari directed by
Abhaya Simha,
Cobra, directed by
Lal,
Thappana, directed by
Johny Antony,
Jawan of Vellimala, directed by
Anoop Kannan, (Mammootty produced the film),
Face to Face, directed by
V. M. Vinu and
Bavuttiyude Namathil, directed by G. S. Vijayan. His first films released in 2013 were
Kammath & Kammath, directed by Thomson and
Immanuel, directed by
Lal Jose. Later, he went on to appear in
Kadal Kadannoru Mathukkutty, directed by
Ranjith, which was released for Ramzan season,
Kunjananthante Kada, directed by
Salim Ahamed and
Daivathinte Swantham Cleetus, directed by G. Marthandan. His next release was
Silence, directed by
V. K. Prakash. He acted in
Balyakalasakhi, directed by
Pramod Payyannur,
Praise the Lord, directed by
Shibu Gangadharan and
Gangster, directed by
Aashiq Abu in the first half of 2014. He also acted in:
Manglish, directed by
Salam Bappu,
Munnariyippu, directed by
Venu,
RajadhiRaja, directed by debutant Ajai Vasudev and
Varsham, directed by
Ranjith Sankar. Mammootty received critical praise for his portrayal of C.K. Raghavan in
Munnariyippu, while
Sify called
RajadhiRaja "a genuine hit for Mammootty after a long time". Nicy V.P. of
International Business Times wrote: "
Varsham is a movie worth investing your time and money." His 2015 releases were
Fireman, directed by Deepu Karunakaran,
Bhaskar the Rascal, directed by
Siddique, a commercial success,
Acha Dhin, directed by Marthandan.
Utopiayile Rajavu, directed by
Kamal and
Pathemari, directed by
Salim Ahamed. He acted in
Puthiya Niyamam alongside
Nayanthara directed by
A. K. Sajan in the first half of 2016. He also acted in
Kasaba directed by debutant director Nithin Renji Paniker. His next releases for the year was
White directed by
Uday Ananthan and
Thoppil Joppan, directed by
Johny Antony marking their fourth collaboration. In 2017, his first release was
The Great Father directed by debutant
Haneef Adeni. He was then seen in
Puthan Panam directed by
Ranjith,
Pullikkaran Staraa directed by
Syamdhar and
Masterpiece directed by
Ajai Vasudev. In 2018, he acted in
Parole directed by debutant Sharrath Sandith. He has then seen in
Uncle written by
Joy Mathew and directed by debutant Girish Damodar. His next release was
Abrahaminte Santhathikal, a crime thriller directed by debutant Shaji Padoor. His last release for the year was
Oru Kuttanadan Blog directed and written by
Sethu. In 2018, he acted in critically acclaimed Tamil movie
Peranbu directed by
Ram. It was selected for
Rotterdam Film Festival,
Shanghai International Film Festival and
International Film Festival of India. His role of single parent Amudhavan who struggles with raising his
spastic girl child, Paapa was well appreciated by critics. His first release of 2019 was
Madhura Raja, a spin-off to the 2010 film
Pokkiri Raja directed by
Vysakh. It becomes the best-grossing film in Mammootty's career. His next release was
Unda directed by Khalid Rahman in which he played the role of a Sub-inspector of Police who led the team of a police unit for state election duty in a Maoist prone area in
Chhattisgarh. He was then seen in an extended cameo in the film
Pathinettam Padi directed by
Shankar Ramakrishnan. Later in the year, Mammootty was in the historical drama
Mamangam directed by
M. Padmakumar, which is based on the historical
Mamankam festival in the banks of the
Bharathappuzha. He was also in
Ramesh Pisharody's
Ganagandharvan in which he plays a 'ganamela' singer named Kalasadhan Ullas and
Ajai Vasudev's
Shylock. After two decades, Mammootty returned to
Telugu cinema in 2019 with the biopic
Yatra which is based on former
Andhra Pradesh chief minister
YS Rajasekhar Reddy directed by
Mahi Raghav.
2020–present In 2021, He starred in
The Priest, directed by Jofin T. Chacko featuring
Manju Warrier marking her first collaboration with Mammootty. He then starred in the political thriller
One, directed by Santhosh Vishwanath. He played Kadakkal Chandran, Chief Minister of Kerala in the film. In 2022, He starred in
Bheeshma Parvam directed by
Amal Neerad, which received positive responses and was a blockbuster. He then starred in
CBI 5: The Brain, which emerged as a box office success. In 2023, he acted in the Telugu film
Agent starring
Akhil Akkineni. In 2024, he reprised
Y. S. Rajasekhar Reddy in the Tamil film
Yatra 2. Mammootty had four Malayalam releases in 2023: He first appeared in
Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam, which received critical acclaim for his role which won him the Kerala State Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actor. He then appeared in
Christopher and
Kannur Squad. He then played the lead in
Kaathal – The Core. In 2024, Mammootty appeared in three Malayalam films,
Abraham Ozler,
Turbo and
Bramayugam. Mammootty's first release in 2025 was ''
Dominic and the Ladies' Purse. He then appeared in Bazooka. Both films underperformed at the box office. In the same year, an AI-generated version of Mammooty was used in the film Rekhachithram'' without the actor's physical appearance being involved. Also, an arm is shown as the character Moothon in the film
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, with voiceover of Mammooty. The film became the highest grossing malayalam film of the year. He then appeared in the Malayalam-language crime thriller
Kalamkaval, which was released theatrically on 5 December 2025. The film opened to strong audience interest and maintained steady box office performance in the weeks following its release, emerging as one of the notable Malayalam releases of the year. Around the same period, Mammootty was cast in the Malayalam political thriller
Patriot (2026 Film), directed by Mahesh Narayanan. The film features an ensemble cast including
Mohanlal,
Fahadh Faasil,
Kunchacko Boban and
Nayanthara, and is among the major multi-starrer projects in Malayalam cinema during the mid-2020s. Filming began in 2025, with the film being released to mixed reviews on May 1st 2026. In 2026, Mammootty's Malayalam horror film
Bramayugam, directed by
Rahul Sadasivan, was selected for a special screening at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on February 12, as part of the "Where the Forest Meets the Sea" series. It was the first film starring Mammootty to be shown at the Academy Museum, drawing international attention to the film's global exhibition.
Films in other languages He has acted in Tamil films for directors including
K. Balachander's (
Azhagan),
Mani Ratnam's (
Thalapathy),
Fazil's (
Kilippechu Kekkavaa),
N. Linguswamy's (
Aanandham),
R. K. Selvamani's (
Makkal Aatchi),
Marumalarchi Bharathi's (
Marumalarchi) and
Ethirum Puthirum and
Rajiv Menon (
Kandukondain Kandukondain) (2000). He played Anantha Sharma in
K. Viswanath's
Telugu film Swathi Kiranam (1992). == Other work ==