'Mamukoya enjoyed a rare acceptance'

Minutes after the news of veteran actor Mamukoya's demise became the headlines, actor-writer Murali Gopy wrote, "Mamukoya is synonymous with uniqueness." This statement succinctly summarises the actor's four-decade-old acting career. While Malayalam cinema is known for producing some of the country's best actors, not many played to their strengths, like Mamukoya. When his peers strived hard to make each role look distinct, Mamukoya stuck to his inimitable 'Kozhikodan' touch in all his performances. Strangely enough, the usually nitpicky Malayali audience never had an issue with it as they adored his uniqueness. His fellow actor and longtime friend Vijayaraghavan called it a 'rare acceptance'. 

We speak to a few from the Malayalam film industry who share a love and respect for the late actor.

Vijayaraghavan

I first met him during the shoot of Surumaitta Kannukal, where we got along like we've known each other for years. It became a permanent bond. I always admired how he repeated his trademark acting style and yet managed to pull off a wide variety of roles for so long. He was never pretentious, both in cinema and in real life. He was also an active figure in Kozhikode's socio-cultural sphere with sound literary and music knowledge. His passing away is a personal loss for me, that too just days after Innocent ettan's demise. I fondly remember how their careers peaked after Ramji Rao Speaking, which I was also part of. During that time, producers tried hard to accommodate their dates as their combination scenes were a huge hit. They will continue to live through those timeless performances.

Lalu Alex

Though it has been a while since I met Mamukoya, we always had a strong emotional connection. He was a very affectionate and kind-hearted person. It's extremely painful to see so many of our close ones leaving us. But that's nature's decision, and all we can do is pray for these departed souls. 

Ranjith Sankar

I worked with him once in Molly Aunty Rocks, and it was such a memorable experience. He was the first person who came to my mind for the advocate's character. It was during our interactions on sets that I realised there was another side to him. He had some serious perspectives on life, politics, and the society we live in. One striking aspect about him was he never complained about anything. He was always on his toes, and I never expected him to be such an energetic person.

Srinda

Though I had worked with Maammukka in Masala Republic, it was during the shoot of Kuruthi that we got to know each other better. Since it was the time when Covid restrictions were still in place, we were all together during the entire shoot. Maammukka was the most energetic person on the sets. His was a physically demanding character, but he was always up for it. I used to be in awe of his energy. I was also moved by his warmth as he shared stories about his early days in cinema and his Kozhikode life. We used to regularly call and enquire about each other's well-being. I still can't believe that he is no more. I can never forget the precious moments I spent with him.

Muhsin Parari

I had the opportunity to collaborate with Maammukka on two music videos and later in my directorial debut, KL 10 Pathu. The first music video, Native Bapa, has him playing the father of a youth accused of terrorist activities. Maammukka knew my grandfather, so he had a special affection for me. At that time I was just 22, but he understood my craze and was ready to deliver what I wanted. We then worked on Funeral of a Native Son, a tribute to Ph.D. scholar Rohith Vemula. Maammukka had a clear understanding of freedom and was vocal in his views. He was a socially committed artist who could not be overpowered by any divisive forces. We were constantly in touch and were eager to work again. It didn't happen in Thallumaala because of his date issues. I was looking forward to spending some time with him soon, but...

Jagadish

Mamukoya was an impeccable actor whose roles are loved by Malayalis across all age groups. I will always cherish associating with him, not just as an actor but also as a person who had an in-depth life experience. It is a less-known fact that he had a strong affiliation towards literature. His acquaintance with literary personalities made him humble and wise. He had close bonds with literature giants like Vaikkom Mumammed Basheer, Thikkodiyan, Uroob, MT Vasudevan Nair, T Damodaran, and musicians like Raghavan master, Bhaskaran master. For them, Mamukkoya was more like their disciple. His strong friendship with playwrights KT Muhammed and Vasu Pradeep polished the actor in him too. He was an actor who explored innocence and situational humour more. Despite the Malabar slang stamped on him, one cannot write off his realistic acting style. He presents his dialogue as a conversation between two characters. 

Mamukoya's early life wasn't a pleasant one as he endured many hardships. Even after he achieved celebrity status, he always maintained a down-to-earth persona. He had a pleasing personality and followed a simple lifestyle too. He had no managers nor assistants even though he had a fandom equal to the superstars. 

We had worked together in several films, mostly in the 90s. One of our combinations that I'll always cherish is Gajakesariyogam. He was also there in the majority of the films in which I played the lead. Unlike now, the breaks during shooting were a time for us to indulge in many healthy discussions and conversations which included everything from literature to our personal lives. Our team mostly consisted of him, me, Jagathy chettan, Pappu chettan and Innocent chettan. It is extremely sad that both Innocent and Mamukoya left us in the space of one month.

(With inputs from Arya UR)