Clad in a Khadi jubba and Kasavu veshti and delivering cinematic dialogues, Mohanlal attended the closing ceremony of the 64th edition of the Kerala School Kalolsavam event at the Thekkinkadu Maidan in Thrissur in some style! There has been much buzz around the festival's final day because of the legendary actor's expected presence in it as a chief guest. K Rajan, Minister for Revenue and Housing for the state, delivered a speech welcoming the actor to the event.
The audience made some discourse around even what he would wear at the festival. "I wore Khaddar in a manner that makes everyone happy. I also twirled my mustache a little bit for the students," the actor said, to a rapturous audience. Calling the outfit excellent, he said that he is "a goodwill ambassador for handlooms" and that he wore the jubba and veshti upon on minister Rajan's suggestion.
The mustache twirling bit is an acknowledgement of frequent fan requests to the actor to do things that cater to his mass appeal. In previous events, audiences, especially the younger lot, asked Mohanlal to twirl his mustache, only for him to oblige to the request. It is one of the most popular mass elements in the actor's commercial films, especially from the 2000s.
Calling the event a festival and not a competition, the actor reminisced about his previous visit to the Vadakkumnathan Temple. Two decades ago, he visited it in a way that few knew about it. He also mentioned those who became prominent public figures thanks to the festival, such as Navya Nair, Manju Warrier, G Venugopal, and KS Chithra. He congratulated Kannur for winning the golden cup in the event, leaving last year's winner Thrissur in second place. Also earning the actor's praise is the educational institution in Alathur that hit the highest marks in the Kerala School Kalolsavam.
