Mammootty in Ambedkar the Movie.
'I felt relieved only after the censor board certified Ambedkar'
Ever since the national awards are announced, Mammootty has been a busy man. No, he is not shooting now; in fact he is enjoying a 20-day holiday with his wife and children. But most of it has been spent in giving interviews. All provided rather reluctantly, of course.
Shobha Warrier waited for the interest to subside before calling him up but by then he was quite bored.
"I hope you will understand my feelings," he said. But he finally relented and agreed to an interview at his home, a beautiful and tastefully decorated house reminiscent of old Kerala architecture in Madras. In fact, he has collected several items, including finely carved doors, wooden floor, wooden ceiling etc from old Kerala houses.
In such comfortable surroundings Mammootty finally loosened up and chatted on for nearly an hour, though telephone calls interrupted him several times. He spoke of Babasaheb Ambedkar, the challenges before him as an actor, his desire to act in Hollywood movies and his search for challenging roles.
The latest national award is Mammootty's third. Other than Kamal Haasan, no other male actor has won three national awards. The first two awards were for his performances in Malayalam films but this time it was for a film made in English. And that makes it sweeter, he says. Excerpts from the interview:
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