Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair (born 21 May 1960), better known as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer and occasional singer best known for his work in. Film critics, contemporaries, and other experts consider him as one of the greatest actors in for his versatile and natural acting.Widely regarded as a , he also holds a status in the popular culture of .

Mohanlal made his acting debut in (1978), but the film got released only after 25 years due to censorship issues. His first film to be released was (1980) in which he acted as the antagonist. He became a with the commercial success of (1986) which is widely considered as a cult classic in action movie genre. In a career spanning over three decades, Mohanlal has acted in over 300 Malayalam films in various genres. Mohanlal has also acted in , , and films. Of these, his notable roles were in (1997), directed by , and (2002), directed by .

Mohanlal was elected as the most popular Keralite in an online poll conducted by in 2006 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Kerala’s formation. In 2001, the Government of India honoured him with the , India’s fourth highest civilian honour, for his contributions towards Indian cinema. He has won four – two , one , and one as producer; along with six and eight . In 2009, he became the first and the only actor to receive the honorary rank of in the and in 2010 he received an from , Kerala.

Early life[]

Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair was born on 21 May 1960 in the village of district, , as the youngest child of Viswanathan Nair, a former bureaucrat and law secretary with the Kerala Government, and Santhakumari. He grew up at Mudavanmugal, Poojappura in . Mohanlal studied at , and graduated with a from in . Mohanlal received his first Best Actor Award when he was in sixth grade for a stage play called Computer Boy in which he enacted as a ninety-year-old person.

In 1977–78 he was the state wrestling champion.

Film career[]

Early years (1978–1985)[]

Mohanlal made his acting debut in 1978 with the film which was created by Mohanlal and his friends: , Suresh Kumar, Unni, , Ravi Kumar and others. Mohanlal played Kuttappan, a mentally disabled servant in the movie. The film was completed, but it took 25 years to release the movie.

In 1980, Mohanlal was cast in the lead antagonist role in – the directorial debut of . The movie became a major hit. Mohanlal’s friends had sent his application in response to an advertisement by . He was auditioned for the role in front of a panel that included professional directors; two of them gave him poor marks but Fazil and Jijo Appachan liked him. In an interview with in 2004, Mohanlal said that his looks as a young man might have fit the image. By 1983, Mohanlal was credited in more than 25 feature films most of which had him play negative roles. Films like , , Visa, Attakalasham, Kaliyil Alppam Kariyam, Ente mamattikutiiyammakku, Engane Nee marakkum, Unaroo, & Sreekrishnaparunthu changed his villain image[]. In Sasikumar’s , he became a successful hero. Mohanlal played his first comic lead role in an , as a young man in love with a girl whom he mistakenly believes to be rich, in the 1984 comedy . It also marked the beginning of Mohanlal-Priyadarshan duo who As of 2011 have

Mohanlal’s first non-Malayalam movie was the biographical film directed by . The controversial film, in which Mohanlal depicted an actor who turns politician (based on ), was a critical success and won many awards including Best Film award at the and two .

In 1998, he produced and starred in alongside and . The film was a commercial success but was not received well by critics. The movie had two versions of which were screened in different regions based on whether Mohanlal or Mammootty was more popular there. This, however, became controversial when lawsuits were filed claiming that prints exhibited in -dominated areas showed Mohanlal marrying the heroine, whereas the ones in -dominated areas showed Mammootty marrying her.

Mohanlal depicted a artist whose personal life is a tragedy in the 1999 Indo-French period drama directed by won him the second National Award for Best Actor and was the first film that got him international recognition. The film was selected for the competitive section at the and his performance was critically acclaimed. It also earned him his fourth and sixth .

In 2000, Mohanlal starred in playing a rogue with a good heart. It became the highest grossing movie of all time. In the next two years, Mohanlal was typecast in similar larger-than-life roles in movies like , , , and . These movies (except for Ravanaprabhu) were widely criticised for their repetitive plots, lewd dialogues, punch lines and male chauvinistic outlook. “The Narasimham hangover is terrifically strong and it has, at least for the moment, killed the prospects of good films. I don’t see any other reason for the failure of well made female-oriented films like and,” wrote .

In 2002, Mohanlal played the role of Sreenivasan IPS, a police officer, in his first movie, , which introduced him to the -speaking audience in India and for which he won the for Best Supporting Actor. The movie dealt with the real-life story of two underworld dons who ruled Mumbai played by and . Mohanlal’s performance was well received. noted that the actor is “at his natural best” and “does not look stifled or anxious as other South Indian stars do when they appear in a Hindi movie for the first time”. In a 2010 online poll by Hindifilmnews.com, Mohanlal’s performance in Company was chosen “The Finest Performance of a Bollywood Actor in the Last Decade (2001–2010)”. He was No. 1 in the audiences’ list and maintained No. 6 in the critics’ list.

The following year, Mohanlal, trying to change his action hero image, returned to humour roles with , , and . , promoted as a comeback vehicle for the actor, received good reviews and box-office collection. , directed by , was also a commercial success. Mohanlal plays the role of Athanipparambil Balachandran, a bank employee always willing to lend a helping hand, who is forced to hide many secrets after his father’s death leading to his family’s mistrust.

In 2004, was his only superhit and became a hit.

Mohanlal appeared in the 2005 as an aspiring film director. Well received by the audience and the critics, the movie did well even in places where Malayalam films do not run in regular shows like , , and . In the same year, he appeared in director second film , a film that tells the story of an individual suffering from . The film received positive reviews and Mohanlal’s performance was highly praised. Mohanlal won his fifth and seventh for his performance in a difficult role; his character does not speak in the second-half of the movie.

In 2006, he worked with the director in the movie . Mohanlal also acted in by director , in which he plays the role of an officer . The movie was shot in . and was a huge blockbuster. A version of the movie was released in Tamil as , but Mohanlal disassociated himself with the movie since his voice was not used, stating that “I prefer to speak for my role in the film.” Mohanlal also acted in the sequels (2008) and (2010) in Major Mahadevan series. In 2009 the Indian government conferred him with the honorary title of from Indian Territorial Army

In 2007, Mohanlal won the for his performance in the movie directed by . stated that “Mohanlal is mesmerising and reinvents the idiom of acting once more with feeling.” His July release became one of the biggest Malayalam hits in 2007. In August that year, he appeared in his second movie, , a remake of the Bollywood film . Mohanlal played the role played by Sanjeev Kumar in the original.

In 2008 Mohanlal did the lead role in multi-star movie and in 2009 Mohanlal appeared with in the movie . His last film in 2009 was was directed by Roshan Andrews.

2010–present[]

In 2010, he acted in five films, the first being a crime thriller which he co-starred with written by , he played Adv. Surya Narayanan who encounters some runaway suspects came for justice. directed by Murali Nagavally was a comical racy entertainer released in May. directed by , scripted by and produced by , was a social satire about the . It reunited the much-adored classic combo of Mohanlal- onscreen. His next film was a dark revenge thriller directed by , in which he played a lorry driver who is haunted by his past. The film topped at the box-office. Followed in the end was directed by , a based on the flight hijacking incident of in 1999, Mohanlal reprised the role of in the film. It was the third installment in the , and the debut Malayalam film of .

His first release of 2011 was the multi-starrer an directed by and scripted by duo, in which he co-starred with , and . Released on 18 March worldwide on 300 screens simultaneously in all releasing centres which was the largest release for a Malayalam film at that time. This racy entertainer was a commercial success and one of the top grossing Malayalam film of the year. The film’s theme was similar to the 2008 film , in which the main cast and crew were also the same. His (April) release was another multi-starrer he co-starred with and was a comedy entertainer directed by . Despite of the mixed reviews, the film ran over 100 days and became one of the highest grossing Malayalam of the year. He starred in released on 31 August was an off-beat directed by , which told a love story between three aged characters of Mohanlal, , and . The film was highly acclaimed by the critics and Mohanlal’s performance as Mathews was well appreciated. His next film, , was directed by , which was a familymovie in the background of a village in . For the first time, yesterday’s actress shared screen space with Mohanlal, she played the role of his mother. It is credited as Mohanlal’s 300th film. The film became a decent hit. His last film of the year was , directed by , which was an thriller entirely plotted in middle east. It marked the return of Priyadarshan-Mohanlal- combo of the late 80s and 90s. While shooting in the Al Kateena deserts in , Canadian director visited the sets for almost three hours and was very impressed with Mohanlal’s acting skills and Priyan’s use of limited crew. The film was a superhit at the Christmas-New year box office.

In 2012, he was seen in six films, his first release was the much hyped big-budget film directed by and written by . He enacted the role of Casanova, a serial womaniser and the owner of Casanova’s Eternal Spring – an international chain of flower boutiques. Later he appeared in a cameo role in the Bollywood movie released on 27 April directed by. His next film was directorial was a crime , the story of a cop who is forced to investigate a series of murders. Mohanlal’s well tempered, calm and subdued acting was appreciated by the critics. It is the first Malayalam film to be released through online video streaming by in the and . Followed up was directed by which centered on the increasing habits of alcoholism in . The film was exempted from entertainment tax by the state government for creating an awareness on social issues faced by the society. The film completed 125 days theatrical run in Kerala and became a commercial success also. was released during the Onam festival, a filmdirected by , featured news media as the background. The film was heavily appreciated by the critics, remarking it as the example for a well crafted gripping thriller. It became one among the highest grossing Malayalam film of the year. The year ended with Christmas release directed by , an action thriller in which he appeared as Mad Maddy an encounter specialist who makes decisions on the spot who is assigned to investigate the missing of a teenage school girl in . The film dealt with the .

2013 was a remarkable year for Mohanlal, it was the year in which the all-time blockbuster of Malayalam film released. His first film of the year was , a vigilante thriller in which he played a vigilante nicknamed “Lokpal”. It was directed by and written by . directed by , was a non-linear investigation thriller based on a political murder. directed by was a romantic comedy film on the backdrop of IT companies. , a horror thriller directed by was a spin-off of Malayalam classic film , he reprised the role of Dr. Sunny from the original. His last release was directed by .

In 2014, he starred in action-drama alongside , directed by and produced by . The film released over 1150 screens worldwide with 207 screens in Kerala alone, which was the largest release for a film in Kerala in any language. And earned a 27.3 million (US$400,000) gross in its first day of release in Kerala, which is the highest single day earnings for any film across all languages in the state at that time. It completed 100 days theatrical run in few theatres in , Tamil Nadu. Mohanlal’s first Malayalam release of 2014 was , a directed by . In the next project, he appeared in an extended cameo role in , a adventurous set in an untold period. Mohanlal played a mysterious character, who at the end of the film revealed as a . It was an experimental film directed by and produced by . His next venture was a comical film written and directed by film director , came with an unfamiliar storytelling in Malayalam film industry, film discussed the politics of and the US, the largest democraciesof the world. It’s about a young political kingmaker who is assigned to make a governor candidate win the state gubernatorial elections, there he uses the Indian standard political gimmicks to win the election. The film goes in a logicless narrating style which was foreign to , even though pictured with an onscreen starting tagline to “keep logic away”, the film got undigested among audience who likes to watch classic political satire films like .

His first release in 2015 was the Kannada version of the – bilingual film . His performance as the revenge seeking DRDO scientist Mahadev was highly appreciated by the critics. His first Malayalam release was the cameo appearance in . directed by was his first film in the year in leading role alongside . The film was a success at the box office. Followed by the action thriller directed by Joshiy failed both critically and commercially. His next was directorial thriller . Though it met with the mixed critical response, the film was a commercial success. The revenge thriller was released the next. It also received mixed reviews from critics.

Filmography[]

Mohanlal has acted in over 320 and produced or co-produced over 35 films. His acting credits also include some , , , films. He has acted in 4 professional plays. He has sung over 30 songs, most of them for the films he acted in.

Other projects[]

Theatre and television[]

Mohanlal has acted in a few plays. He debuted on the stage as (a character in the Indian epic ) in Karnabharam, a play that was premiered in New Delhi as part of the directed by . The play depicts mental agony a day before the , as he thinks about his past and his faith.

Kadhayattam was a presentation enacted by Mohanlal, depicting 10 characters and situations selected from . The play was staged at on 1 November 2003. Chayamukhi written and directed by Prasanth Narayanan was presented under the banner of Kalidasa Visual Magic, a production house promoted jointly by Mohanlal and Malayalam actor . Mohanlal performed the role of and Mukesh performed the role of . The play was first staged at Thrissur on 12 March 2008. Mohanlal has also appeared in several television commercials and advertisemens including Malabar Gold ad with and , MCR ad with , Oceanus ad, Manappuram Gold Loan ad with , etc.

Musical band[]

In 2014 Mohanlal and music director formed the band ‘Lalisom – The Lal Effect.’ The band’s maiden show was at the . The band drew flak from the social media for charging an amount of ₹1.60 crore for its first show, later the show was also criticised for poor performance which included lip-syncing to a previously recorded audio tape. Following the criticism, Mohanlal announced that he would be returning the cost of Rs 1.60 crore to Government of Kerala. But the government rejected Mohanlal’s offer saying that the heat generated by the event was quite regrettable and the Government’s morality would not allow it to take back the money. The government also said, Mohanlal had not personally benefitted from the amount (Rs 1.63 crore) which he received since it was meant to meet the stage expenses and remuneration for the artistes. But Mohanlal didn’t take back the money he dispatched. Many eminent personalities from film industry and apart came to support Mohanlal. The band’s nextperformance will involve nearly 40 hit songs of Mohanlal movies using hologram technology.

Goodwil and brand ambassador[]

Mohanlal was selected as the of Kerala State Athletics by the Kerala State Athletics Association. He is also the Goodwill Ambassador of AIDS awareness campaign by Kerala AIDS Control Society for which he acted in short films, and of textiles in Kerala. Other commercials, designed for Kerala markets, include , .

Business and other ventures[]

Mohanlal has also started several business ventures related to film production and distribution, restaurants and packaged spices among others. He owns , a Malayalam film distribution company and , a film post-production studio and college for dubbing artists at Film and Video Park, . He has produced films under the banner . He owns many restaurants including a chain in called Mohanlal’s Tastebuds, Travancore Court in and The Harbour Market in . He is also a partner in Mohanlal’s Tastebuds, a pickle and curry powder company. His other business ventures include Uni Royal Marine Exports – a -based seafood export company and Kochi. He is an of Clenergen India Private Limited In 2009, Mohanlal, along with , tried to bid for an team based in ; they withdrew the bid on failing to source enough funds after a change in rules was introduced.

Mohanlal was the captain of the team in the (CCL) held in 2012 & 2013.

As an escape artist[]

In 2008, Mohanlal underwent 18 months of training under famous magician . He had planned to perform a stunt called ‘Burning Illusion’ in . However, due to pressure from various quarters including his fans, the act was cancelled later on criticisms and allegations that it is extremely dangerous. The event was jointly organised by the , and the Kerala State Youth Welfare Board. The open-air “fire escape” stunt, which should have held at the , was a curtain raiser for the four-day ‘Vismayam 2008’, an international convention in which nearly 1,000 magicians from across the world would take part. The meet started on 1 May. In the stunt, he will be handcuffed and the whole body wrapped in chains with the keys in the hands of dignitaries watching the show. The actor would then be put inside a box, which will be thrown into a ball of fire from where he has to escape.

The news shocked and split the magician community in Kerala. Before the commencement of the act internationally acclaimed magician Samraj advised Mohanlal against performing the daredevil stunt. Samraj approached the (AMMA) with a memorandum signed by 300 magicians, requesting it to urge Mohanlal to withdraw. AMMA president Innocent requested Mohanlal to withdraw from stunt and endangering himself: Mohanlal is a pillar of the Malayalam film industry; he has no right to go and do such a risky show. The stunt was also to inspire the youth to overcome debacles in life with sheer determination. Briefing about the act in the press conference organised in , Mohanlal said “The risk factor is fifty-fifty for the escape act. I hope that I can make it with the blessings of all.”About the objective of the act, the winning magician said “Counted as one of the most dangerous acts, the ‘Burning Illusion’ will find Mohanlal inspiring the youth to overcome debacles in life with sheer determination. Hehas been practising for a while to perfect it.”

In 2014, the actor who is immensely passionate about the art form decided to perform a risk-free item for the inaugural function of Magic Planet, a magic-themed complex at Kazhakoottam, . It is the first Magic Mansion of the world. It is a project of the Academy of Magical Sciences, founded by his teacher the internationally acclaimed magician . The function was inaugurated by along with other supreme leaders and the first magic performance was done by Mohanlal. In the trick, he lifted a girl on the air. Chief minister , opposition Leader and other prominent personals with the presence of high-profile international magicians were present at the function.

In the media[]

Mohanlal has been described in Indian media as one of the most versatile actors and has been lauded for his natural acting style. India described him in 2004 as “cinema’s jack of all trades and master of many”. He was also listed 80th in India’s Most Trusted Survey conducted by Reader’s Digest in 2010.Bollywood director Ram Gopal Varma has described Mohanlal as “one of the finest actors in the country who can slip into any role easily”.

In 2003 on the 25th anniversary of Mohanlal’s film career, a week-long celebration and a stage show were held in by his fans and friends. The proceeds from the stage show were donated to charity. Malayalam television channels, Television and also held separate stage shows to celebrate the anniversary.

Mohanlal along with , and have been accused in the media for causing a crisis in Malayalam cinema due to the “superstar” effect. In 2005 Mohanlal, Mammootty and controlled 95% of the box-office revenue of Malayalam cinema. These 3 artists have been criticized for their high remunerations, preference for formulaic content and larger-than-life male-oriented roles. Mohanlal are present throughout Kerala; they help in creating a buzz around new releases and ensure a good opening in movie screens, a crucial factor in the success of the film. In 2007, activists in Kerala protested against Mohanlal for appearing in a surreptitious whiskey advertisement. Mahatma Gandhi National Foundation, a -based NGO, accused the actor of violating laws that ban direct liquor advertisements. However, Mohanlal stated that it was unfair to single him out when so many other Indian actors were doing similar endorsements on television.

In 2010, Mohanlal was part of a public spat involving Malayalam writer and social critic , actor and (AMMA). The controversy erupted after Azhikode supported Thilakan’s accusations that AMMA had imposed an ‘undeclared ban’ on him, suggesting that the leading stars of Malayalam should step aside since they are old, out-of-shape and charged exorbitant remunerations resulting in mounting losses for the industry. He added that Mohanlal was “a hypocrite who hid his advancing age to act with younger heroines”. Mohanlal responded that Azhikode was having “hallucinations” and his remarks were “an aged uncle’s joke”. This led to further personal remarks by Azhikode against Mohanlal. Other actors like and defended Mohanlal and the media was, in general, critical of the comments by Azhikode. Azhikode filed a defamation suit against Mohanlal in August 2010. The forest department filed a case against Mohanlal for keeping an elephant tusk at his home under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The casewas first dismissed by a local Court in Perumbavur and later by the in 2012. An individual named Pramod of Thrissur had filed a petition that the officials had gone out of the way to favour Mohanlal. It was alleged in the petition that actor and former minister K B Ganesh Kumar and forest officials were trying to save Mohanlal and overthrow the case related to the discovery of four elephant tusks at the actor’s house during an income tax raid. The petitioner went to Kerala HC, but the Court dismissed the case and observed that “there was nothing to show that the State government or its officers had acted in favour of the actor. Besides, the petitioner had not been able to point out any illegality or irregularities in the investigation.” “Mohanlal’s lawyer senior advocate M K Damodaran informed the court that police are investigating the case and the final report has not yet been submitted. When the lawyer of the plaintiff mentioned that the tusks are still kept in Lal’s house, thedefendant’s lawyer explained that a receipt for the tusks has been obtained and is kept with Mohanlal”. Dismissing the petition, the court criticized the petitioner for approaching the high court even without enquiring about the present status of the case. “There is no public interest in the petition, but it is aimed only at publicity”, the court had held.

Personal life[]

Mohanlal lives with his family in , . He married Suchitra, daughter of Tamil film producer on 28 April 1988. Mohanlal later recalled in an interview that Suchitra used to send him cards because she wanted to marry him. Their did not match at first, but later it was found that the erred. Mohanlal has two children – and Vismaya. Pranav has acted in a few movies, debuting in Mohanlal’s film . Mohanlal did not object when his son expressed a desire to act as “Kids may have many such ambitions. If we can help them realise something, what is the problem?”He owns a house at , a villa in Arabian Ranches and a flat in at . Mohanlal is a self-described foodie. He also enjoys melodious music. Mohanlal is a strong believer in destiny and spirituality. He likes to read , , and . He has often stated that the turn of events in his life, including his film career, was accidental. His elder brother Pyarelal died in the year 2000, during a military exercise.

Awards and achievements[]

Mohanlal has received a number of awards including the by the Government of India in 2001. He has also received the National and Kerala state awards for best actor several times.

In 2008, while shooting for the movie in which he plays the role of an officer, Mohanlal expressed interest to join as an officer. On 9 July 2008, he was formally inducted to the Territorial Army in the rank of by then Army Chief . Rules had to be amended to accommodate him as men above the age of 42 are not eligible to join the volunteer force. He is the first and only Indian actor to get the title

Mohanlal was awarded an by , in 2010. The citation praised Mohanlal as “an excellent performer after actor in the world, who played a rich variety of roles with equal ease and poise.”

In 2012, he was bestowed with the title of in Korean martial art from , the world Taekwondo Headquarters, , South Korea. He is the first and only South Indian actor to get the title.