At the 16th anniversary of the Care & Share International Foundation, Mammootty addressed the gathering by reflecting on his recent health scare while announcing a new charitable initiative. The non-profit organisation, which operates under his leadership, launched “Kathodu Kathoram”, a project aimed at providing free cochlear implant surgeries to underprivileged individuals with hearing impairments.
The actor revealed that he had temporarily lost both his sense of smell and taste in 2025, describing it as a prolonged phase that reshaped his understanding of everyday sensory experiences. “Eyesight and hearing are very important aspects of human life. Even while breathing, some people are unable to smell anything. I was unable to smell or taste anything for a long time.” He added that the senses are only now gradually returning, and that the experience left him with a deeper appreciation for abilities often taken for granted.
“We only understand the value of such abilities when we lose them.” Connecting his recovery to the foundation’s focus on hearing health, Mammootty spoke about how instinctively people rely on sound in daily life. “When we ask someone to lower the volume or speak in a softer voice, it is because we can hear. People who cannot hear would never say such things. Some people don’t even realise the privilege they have in being able to like or dislike a song, while others simply wish to hear something in their lives. Hearing is a godly blessing.”
He also recounted an incident from a film shoot, where he purchased a hearing aid for someone in the industry who had never previously experienced sound. “There are many people who cannot hear, they cannot experience music, the sounds of nature, or even spoken language. I know several such people personally. During a shoot, I bought a hearing aid for someone I knew. He wore it for a short while and then removed it and threw it away. Sound was something he had never experienced before. It overwhelmed him, almost frightened him, and he never used the device again. Even today, he does not use it. In that sense, creating awareness about hearing itself is a major task, because for many it is an entirely new experience.”
On the work front, Mammootty has a packed slate ahead. He will next be seen in Mahesh Narayanan’s political espionage thriller Patriot, slated to hit theatres worldwide on April 23. The ambitious multistarrer brings him back on screen with Mohanlal after a long gap, with Fahadh Faasil playing the antagonist. The Bramayugam actor recently wrapped up shooting for Ranjith’s upcoming film, where he reprises the role of Karikkamuri Shanmughan, more than two decades after the 2004 film Black. Another much-anticipated collaboration sees Mammootty reuniting with auteur Adoor Gopalakrishnan for Padayaatra. He is also teaming up with Falimy director Nithish Sahadev for a new film.
Beyond Malayalam cinema, Mammootty is set to return to Tamil with Dhanush’s tentatively titled D 55, directed by Amaran-fame Rajkumar Periasamy.
