KOTTAYAM: “I used to copy the pranks of cartoon characters Boban and Molly in my life and get punishments from my mother,” said actor Mammootty, while recalling his childhood days during the release of the autobiography of cartoonist Toms ‘Ente Bobanum Molliyum’ here on Tuesday.
“The Malayala Manorama Weekly used to come in Arab language,” he quipped, adding,”everyone used to read it from left to right as the ‘Bobanum Mollyum’ used to come on the last page of it,” he said.
Reacting to the opinion of cartoonist Prasannan Anikkadan, chairperson of the Kerala Cartoon Akademi, that Toms should be presented with Padma Shri, Mammootty said that deserving of an honour is more important than getting it. He also wished that Toms live forever through his work.
Mammootty handed over the first copy of the book, published by the National Book Stall, to real life characters Boban and Molly in presence of the cartoonist’s wife Thresyakutty. Toms could not attend the function as he was not keeping well for the past four months.
President Pranab Mukherjee also sent a message expressing his happiness over the release of the autobiography and hailed Toms as a legend.
The President appreciated the Kerala Cartoon Akademi for organising such a function. Satirist Sukumar and Malayala Manorama editorial director Thomas Jacob were also present on the occasion.