When Mammootty started looking for another job as continuous flops made him desperate: 'I was humiliated badly...'

Mammootty, one of the most beloved stars in Mollywood, has been garnering immense appreciation in recent years for his dedication to performance-driven roles. His portrayals in 'Bramayugam', 'Kaathal: The Core', 'Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam', and more have once again proved that he prioritises his craft over commercial stardom. However, the path to becoming a celebrated actor was far from smooth for Mammootty. There was a time when he was desperate and faced severe humiliation in the industry.

The mid-1980s, in particular, marked a low phase for him, with a series of films underperforming. Reflecting on that challenging period, Mammootty once revealed the emotional toll it took on him. “It was a bad period for me. I thought I would not pick up again. I was desperate. I was humiliated badly as well,” he admitted in a 2002 interview with Karan Thapar on Face to Face (BBC).



He recalled how this struggle deeply affected him. Mammootty admitted that even though he now feels content about overcoming that downfall, his experience with the industry at the time was extremely difficult. People began underestimating him as an actor, but ultimately, that phase led to his rebirth.

Despite these setbacks, Mammootty made a spectacular comeback with New Delhi (1987), directed by Joshiy. His portrayal of journalist G. Krishnamoorthy was widely acclaimed, and the film’s massive success re-established his career.

When asked if those struggles fuelled his resurgence, Mammootty remained candid about his state of mind at the time. He described it as merely an attempt and believes that when someone loses confidence, the only thing they can do is keep trying. He is grateful that his efforts turned out to be successful. “In fact, I had lost confidence in myself completely to the point that I even started considering finding something else to do,” he shared.