In Ratheena’s psychological drama Puzhu (2022), Mammootty plays Kuttan, a paranoid, casteist Brahmin who cannot accept the fact that his sister (Parvathy) is married to a Dalit intellectual (Appunni Sasi). This wasn’t the first time that Mammootty played a negative role – in Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Vidheyan (1994), he was the despicable landlord who exploits labourers and has no redeeming qualities. He won his second National Award for Best Actor for the performance. Less than a decade ago, he played CK Raghavan, a convict who claims that he’s innocent of his crimes in Venu’s thriller Munnariyippu (2014). It’s only in the last scene that the truth hits the audience like a sledgehammer, as a slight smile lights up Raghavan’s impassive face.
“Kuttan in Puzhu is a layered character. He is a close-minded, casteist man, a bad father. He’s the type of man who forces his ideas on others. He believes that he’s always right. He is full of negative thoughts,” said Ratheena. But, the director added, Kuttan doesn’t look or behave like a villain. He is someone who leads an ordinary life. “I couldn’t think of anyone but Mammootty to play the role. The writers of the film (Harshad, Suhas-Sharfu) also had only Mammootty in mind while writing the script,” she said.
Still, directing a superstar in such an unflattering role wasn’t easy. “Though his earlier antagonist roles gave me courage, I was concerned about how people would perceive this role. He’s a star who is welcomed with whistles and claps in theatres. But Puzhu shows him in a cruel, negative role from beginning to end. I didn’t want it to look glorified in any way,” said Ratheena.