Mohanlal & Mammootty move closer

The fans of Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal may not see eye to eye, but their idols are getting closer.

They have come together to fight the common enemy the veteran actor Thilakan who has been a thorn in their flesh.

Thilakan has been making some wild and unsubstantiated allegations against them. He has been able to get the support of the so called “left intellectuals” like Sukumar Azhikode and Punathil Kunjabdulla. Azhikode had criticized Mohanlal' for doing commercial endorsements for a popular jewelery brand and made a “dumb” remark that Mammootty had got Rs 5 crore to do Pazhassi Raja!

Noted novelist Punathil Kunjabdulla, went one step ahead and said at a literary forum that: “Thilakan is one of the most distinguished actors in the world, and before him Mammootty and Mohanlal are nothing!” The irony of it is that both Azhikode and Punathil hardly know anything about cinema or the contribution that M & M has made to Malayalam films.

There was a sustained campaign to tarnish the image of M & M by these so called “intellectuals” as they blindly supported Thilakan in his crusade against the stars. Please note some vested interests in Malayalam film industry are also behind this smear campaign against the superstars.

Meanwhile the two superstars met “accidentally” at the picturesque Panangad Choice Gardens on the backwaters near Kochi. Mohanlal and Mammootty were shooting there for their forthcoming films Christian Brothers and Pramani respectively. During the one hour post lunch meet the stars without any aides discussed about the “Thilakan threat to topple them”.

Mohanlal in an earlier interview to a newspaper had come to the defense of Mammootty by saying that he would never snatch a role from Thilakan. Later Mohanlal in an interview to a television channel said that he had rung up Azhikode and asked him to back off and leave him alone and not drag him into unnecessary controversies. And regarding Azhikode’s statement, that Thilakan and Mohanlal had expressed a desire to hold talks to solve the raging controversy the star made it clear that he had never expressed such willingness.

And as far as Azhikode's criticism that he is cashing in on his fame and popularity by doing commercial endorsements, Mohanlal shot back: "I told him to leave me alone as all stars including Amitabh Bachchan endorses products. I see Azhikode’s ranting against me and Mammootty, as those made by an old man.

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