KOZHIKODE: After Kuthiravattam Pappu, it was Mamukkoya who popularised the Kozhikode dialect on the silver screen. And the indebted city said thank you on Wednesday. Thousands thronged the Town Hall where the body of the veteran actor was kept for the public to pay their last respects.
The sudden demise of Mamukkoya had come as a shock. The streets and iconic locations in the city, where the veteran actor spent his childhood, adolescence and adulthood, seemed to be bathed in grief.
From the auto-rickshaw drivers of Kozhikode to the wood workers of Kallai, and the workers and traders of Valiyangadi and Palayam to the theatre personalities from various parts of the state, thousands came to say farewell to the person who had touched their lives.
Mamukkoya’s early life in and around Kallai was full of struggles, but that did not stop him from becoming an indispensable part of Malayalam cinema.
Despite lacking the physical attributes that people generally identified with actors, Mamukkoya never bowed before anyone. He overcame all the difficulties in his own distinctive style and went on to act in over 450 films and won the first state award for best comedian. He played a major role in framing the land and language of Kozhikode within Malayalam cinema’s context.
“As long as there is Malayalam cinema, moviegoers will never forget the ‘Gafoor ka dosth’ dialogue in Nadodikattu,” the film’s director, Sathyan Anthikad, said. “Gafoor ka dosth is a dialogue that anyone who has seen the film utters at least once, notwithstanding Mohanlal and Srinivasan’s brilliance. When I was looking for an actor for the film Gandhinagar 2nd Street, Srinivasan recommended Mamukkoya’s name and I badly wanted to meet him.
The next day when he arrived I was indeed surprised to see a man who defied all conceptions of an actor. It was a spare man came who had come to meet me at the Maharani Hotel in Kozhikode. His body revolves around his teeth. As soon as I saw those teeth sticking out of his face, I was disappointed. For a moment, I even doubted whether Srinivasan was my enemy.”
It was when Mamukkoya started acting that all preconceived notions went out of the window. “He was one performer who made me realise that looks never stand in the way of a true actor. The extraordinary handling of character and posture, flexibility in handling the Kozhikode slang, everything surprised me. Mamukkoya left a lasting impression,” recounts Sathyan, who would go on to feature the actor in many of his later films.
“Mamukkoya has played a key role in leaving Kozhikode’s imprint on Malayalam cinema,” said actor Joy Mathew. “He was able to crave a niche for himself in Malayalam cinema with his buckteeth, protruding ribs, and slender figure. We connected easily since we both came from theatre. Being from Kozhikode also helped,” Joy said.
Director V M Vinu said Mamukkoya was a simple man who did not get tired of being a star. “He was able to maintain such simplicity in his life because he traversed through difficult life situations. No matter the role, a Mamukkoya signature was a promise. He is truly irreplaceable,” he added.
Full potential unexplored by Mollyood
Veterans like Innocent and Mamukkoya inspired my entry into the world of comedy and films. Mamukkoya was not only a talented actor but also someone I had a close relationship with. We performed together in numerous stage shows, and whenever he visited Thiruvananthapuram, he would drop by my house, even when I was not available.
Mamukkoya was a master of ‘thug’ dialogues in Malayalam cinema, and I feel that he was an actor who was not fully explored by the industry.
Though he played many character roles, they were mostly associated with humour. However, he had the potential to perform serious and grey-shaded roles too. In a short film called “Al Moidu” shot in 2014, he portrayed a villain, which was a refreshing change from his usual banter. What impressed me the most about him was his humility and ability to maintain friendships across age groups.
- Suraj Venjaramoodu (As told to Arya U R)
A kaleidoscope of laughs
Most of his movies were with director Sathyan Anthikkad and a number of them were a hit in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. His notable movies are,
Gandhinagar Second Street (1986)
Sanmanasullavark Samadhanam (1986)
Nadodikkattu (1987)
Pattanapravesham (1988)
Mazhavil Kavadi (1989)
Varavelppu (1989)
Thalayanamanthram (1990)
Sandhesham (1991)
Manassinakkare (2003)
Rasathanthram (2006)
Innathe Chinthavishayam (2008)
Rareeram (1986)
Kamaladalam (1992)
Kireedam (1989)
Perumazhakkalam (2004)
Vadakkunokkiyanthram (1989)
Unnikale Oru Kadhaparayam (1987)
Ramji Rao Speaking (1989)
Usthad Hotel (2012)
Kuruthi (2021)
Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (2021)
Pattalam (2003)
Joker (2000)
Pattanathil Sundaran (2003)
Chinthavishtayaya Shyamala (1998)
An actor who shared close ties with literary and cultural giants
Mamukkoya was an impeccable actor whose roles are cherished by every generation. It is a lesser-known fact that he had a strong affinity with literature. This quality always struck me. That said he had close friendships with literature giants like Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, Thikkodiyan, Uroob, M T Vasudevan Nair, T Damodaran, etc. For them, Mamukkoya was more like their disciple. His strong friendship with playwrights K T Muhammed and Vasu Pradeep polished the actor in him. Later, when he excelled in theatre productions, as ‘actor Mamu’, he was noticed by actor-scriptwriter Sreenivasan.
There is an interesting back story of Mamukkoya in the film Doore Doore Oru Koodu Koottam, written by Sreenivasan and directed by Sibi Malayil. Mamukkoya met Sreeni in Kozhikode as a guide to spot locations of schools and houses for the film. Kuthiravattam Pappu who was meant to portray the role of Koya teacher dropped out of the project. Sreeni suggested Mamukkoya to director Sibi, who was impressed when Mamukkoya dressed up for the role of the Arabic teacher.
-Jagadish (As told to Arya U R)