Amid the mixed response surrounding Patriot, writer-editor-director Mahesh Narayanan has addressed criticisms over Mohanlal’s character arc in the film. The filmmaker clarified that Mohanlal was fully aware of the character’s trajectory from the narration stage itself and had appreciated the political and thematic layers embedded in the writing.
Patriot, one of the most star-studded Malayalam films in recent years, marked the onscreen reunion of Mohanlal and Mammootty after 18 years. The film also features Fahadh Faasil, Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Rajiv Menon, Revathi, Darshana Rajendran and Zarin Shihab in key roles. While the film opened to huge expectations, a significant section of viewers expressed disappointment over the treatment of Mohanlal’s character, with some even alleging that Mahesh had channelled personal vengeance through the arc.
Responding to the criticism in an interview with MediaOne TV, Mahesh dismissed the claim, saying Mohanlal had, in fact, responded positively to that very aspect of the role. “I had spoken to Lal sir about it. He watched the film in the US and really liked it. Even while dubbing, he had seen portions of his scenes and was happy with how it all shaped up. In fact, when I first approached him with the project, that particular aspect was one of the things he liked about the character. So I don’t think he sees it that way at all,” Mahesh said.
The filmmaker had earlier elaborated on his discussions with Mohanlal during a separate interview with the Movie World Media YouTube channel. According to Mahesh, the actors were approached only after the screenplay had been fully developed, and no compromises were made in the writing to accommodate the film’s massive star cast. “We approached everyone with the complete screenplay itself. The only doubt I had was whether Lal sir would like one important aspect of that character,” Mahesh said.
Recalling the narration session at the Aashirvad office in the presence of producer Anto Joseph and Antony Perumbavoor, Mahesh said Mohanlal immediately connected with the film’s political references and real-world inspirations.
“Mammookka’s character in this film has shades of many rebels,” Mahesh said, referring to murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi as one of the inspirations behind the role. “Lal sir is someone who reads a lot. He closely follows current politics. He asked me whether that was the inspiration for the character. I said yes.”
Mahesh further revealed that Mohanlal identified several real-life parallels in the film during the narration itself. “The incident that happened at the airport was inspired by what happened to Kim Jong Nam,” Mahesh recalled, referring to the assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother. “Lal sir himself pointed that out to me, asking if it was based on that incident. He said it had been incorporated very well.”
The director added that Mohanlal even recognised the reference to the chemical used in the film, linking it to the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. “He even mentioned the name of the chemical, asking if it was the same one used on Alexei Navalny. I told him it was exactly that. So all these things connected with him. He understood the entire essence of it before saying that he would do the film,” Mahesh said.
“He also told me there was no need to make any additional changes for his sake. He said that if we were going to make it exactly as narrated, then it was correct,” Mahesh added. Mahesh also maintained that the actors had no difficulty in transforming into their respective characters despite the enormous expectations surrounding the ensemble drama.