When Mohanlal REVEALED his favourite BOLLYWOOD actor; 'Drishyam 3' star chose THIS icon

Mohanlal aka Mollywood's Lalettan holds a huge fan base and several celebs from other industries also share a deep love towards his craft and magnificent talent. But have you ever wondered who will be Mohanlal's favourite star? Curious? Read on to know more.

Mohanlal picks from Bollywood

Legendary Malayalam actor Mohanlal once opened up about a question fans have often wondered about — who is his favourite actor. While he rarely picks one name, the acclaimed star once mentioned a Bollywood icon with deep admiration. The interview was originally aired on DD News.




During the conversation, he said, "All the good actors are 'Good' actors. I love them. You cannot pinpoint one. If you ask to pick one, I can say Amitabh Bachchan. He is amazing and one of the greatest artists in the country. What a stunning transformation he has done in films. Still he is acting. That is the brilliance of an actor."

The actor added that Malayalam cinema too has produced many outstanding performers. He noted with emotion, "We have wonderful actors in Malayalam. Most of the actors, they left us. So suddenly if you ask me such a question, immediately I can say is Amitabh Bachchan."

Mohanlal’s respect for the star runs deep

The admiration between the two superstars goes beyond interviews. Mollywood fans fondly remember when Bollywood’s towering figure, Amitabh Bachchan, acted in the Malayalam film 'Kandahar' without taking any fee. Directed by Major Ravi the war film starred and was co-produced by Mohanlal.

The 'Kandahar' trivia

Released in 2010 the movie was the third part of the Major Mahadevan series and explored the 1999 hijacking crisis. Amitabh Bachchan played a grieving father in a brief but powerful cameo.

In a blog post written in 2010, Amitabh Bachchan revealed the emotional backstory behind his decision. The 'Kalki 2898 AD' star shared that Mohanlal and Major Ravi had personally visited him to discuss the film and payment. The actor recalled turning down the offer with heartfelt sincerity.

He wrote, “Fees? Remuneration? For a guest appearance of three days? With Mohanlal, who has always had my greatest admiration? No way!!” The superstar instead served them homemade tea, signed the agreement, and warmly saw them off.

Earlier in 2007, Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan also had teamed up for 'Aag' which turned out to be a major box office failure.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”