Cinematographer-director Rajiv Menon is getting back together with Mammootty, this time as an actor in the upcoming multistarrer Patriot. The two previously collaborated on 2000's Kandukondain Kandukondain, which Rajiv directed and which also starred Aishwarya Rai, Ajith Kumar, Tabu, and Abbas. Rajiv spoke in awe of Mammootty's growth over the last few decades as an actor and as a person.

Speaking at a recent Patriot event, Rajiv said that he wonders how the superstar still manages to look so young and still have the same passion for his job. "He is growing like fine wine, getting better and better. I don't know what he is eating and what his wife is cooking for him, but his skin seems to get clearer after every treatment. I don't know what he is treating, but he is looking better and better. His hair is growing, everything is growing, and it looks like he's got a light inside of him," Rajiv said.

According to Rajiv, Mammootty's evolution over the years "is a great thing," and the actor-filmmaker drew a contrast between the present version of the superstar and the one he directed all those years ago. "Back then, he used to pester me, saying, 'Have I dressed appropriately? Is this good enough when I act alongside Aishwarya Rai?' Right now, Aishwarya Rai maybe... he is still looking young. He has that charm about him," the filmmaker-actor said.

Rajiv Menon also complimented Mammootty's "sharp intellect" and said that the superstar has become "saint-like," a quality he argued reflects in the actor's interviews. "He is giving perfect, 'meme bites' of knowledge. I think that is a very great thing," the filmmaker said about his Kandukondain Kandukondain star's interviews right now.

Rajiv also said that Mohanlal too is "cracking it" in the industry, and that this augurs well for it. He also thanked Patriot filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan for giving him the opportunity to star alongside the two big M's of Malayalam cinema.