The actor who aspired to become Marlon Brando but ended up being Mammootty instead: An exploration of Bramayugam star’s grey roles

Shah Rukh Khan's concerns are disproved by Mammootty's portrayals of gray characters, such as the one in Rahul Sadasivan's Bramayugam, which show that any actor may take on such morally repugnant roles without making them endearing. Remember the time Shah Rukh Khan said in an interview that he was hesitant to play any morally repugnant characters? SRK clarified that he was afraid he would unintentionally make these characters seem endearing and likable, which he thought was inappropriate because they shouldn't be exalted or admired. He is accurate. Even the most heinous characters, such as Rahul Mehra in Darr (1993), Ajay/Vicky in Baazigar (1993), Vijay Agnihotri in Anjaam (1994), the title character in the Don flicks (2006 and 2011), and Gaurav Chandna in Fan (2016), look like they belong to him. attractive. His choice to abstain from such positions in order to stop their exaltation is therefore reasonable. However, this begs a crucial question: should this be referred to be SRK's strength or weakness? An actor's primary vulnerability, which can result in typecasting, arises when they are skilled at playing characters who express emotions that they are familiar with or when they find it difficult to accept roles that are outside of their comfort zone. Even if an actor isn't naturally gifted in a variety of roles, practice is the key to getting better. Mammootty, the Malayalam megastar, is a prime example of this, as her career shows that acting skills can be developed by a committed pursuit of the acting vocation. In contrast to his contemporaries Mohanlal, who captured hearts with his very first film, Mammootty didn't initially seem like a promising star. Unless he was working on movies with great directors, he frequently gave mediocre performances. Nevertheless, Mammootty persisted in trying despite suffering a string of failures and seeing his friends succeed before him. He was not an actor by chance; rather, he was here to stay.

Three National Film Awards for Best Actor and fifty-two years later, Mammootty is still regarded as one of the most promising performers in Malayalam film. His portrayals of gray characters, in fact, refute SRK's concerns by showing that any actor may take on these kinds of roles without making them seem particularly desirable. Mammootty, who is regarded as the pinnacle of Malayali attractiveness and masculinity, has played some of the most heinous antagonists throughout the years, yet he never radiated charm, preventing adulation. Rahul Sadasivan's Bramayugam is the most recent example. Mammootty has constantly excelled at playing antagonist characters and complex parts with heavy shades of grey. He does this with extreme accuracy, pulling out the darkest, deepest aspects of the characters and smearing them all over his face, leaving no trace of his true self apparent.