In an interview with a leading Malayalam channel, Mohanlal has lashed out at critics of his recent big-budget release, Marakkar, directed by Priyadarshan. The statement has provoked the ire of some netizens who are surprised at these words coming from an actor of Mohanlal's stature and experience.

In his statement, Mohanlal said: "People who are in no way connected to cinema are speaking ill of the film (Marakkar). When you criticise a film, you should have some idea of it. During the pandemic, I was in Hyderabad, and it's great to see audiences over there support the movies released there. There, movie lovers don't allow something to go bad. They don't write unnecessary things. They see that industry with immense respect, and the audiences and government work in favour of the industry's progress."

Marakkar, which won a National award for Best Film, met with a lukewarm response from general audiences and critics when it was released theatrically.