No Padma Bhushan for Mammootty yet again; Is his politics a hurdle?

Mammootty is currently in the prime of his career, delivering a series of critically acclaimed films. In his illustrious four-decade career, he has been honoured with the Padma Shri award and has received the Best Actor award thrice.

The late actor Prem Nazir and Mohanlal, along with KJ Yesudas and KS Chitra, have previously been honoured with the Padma Bhushan in the Malayalam film industry. Mohanlal and Chitra are considered contemporaries of Mammootty, who is their senior. In recent years, various film fraternity members, including Chiranjeevi, have won the Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards even after their earlier recognition with the Padma Shri.

This has led many Mammootty fans to express discontent with the government’s decision as Mammootty, despite being a perennial contender, has not received the higher category Padma accolades.

Actor's Left credentials

Mammootty was honoured with Padma Shri in 1998 while Mohanlal received it in 2001. Mohanlal bagged the Padma Bhushan in 2019. However, despite multiple nominations from Kerala, Mammootty has not been bestowed with the Padma Bhushan by the Union Government.

There is a section of Mammootty supporters who believe he has consistently been overlooked due to his political affiliation with the Left parties and his religious identity. While Mammootty maintains friendly relations with leaders from all political parties, including the BJP, he is widely seen as a supporter of the Left.

Mammootty and Modi

Additionally, his role as the chairman of Kairali TV, affiliated with the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist), and his close association with Left leaders, including Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, contribute to this perception.

The CPI(M) had considered him as a candidate for various elections but he has politely declined to contest. A photograph of Mammootty, with a stoic pose as Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with actor Mohanlal at Suresh Gopi’s daughter’s wedding ceremony, had gone viral, serving as a template for numerous trolls. Despite the subsequent video revealing Mammootty folding his hands to greet Modi and even accepting ‘akshat’ from the Ayodhya Ram temple, he has been attacked by rightwing trolls, focussing on his religious identity, leading to a heated discussion on various social media platforms.

Kerala’s dismay

“Anyone with a rational mind can discern why Mammootty was excluded while Chiranjeevi was honoured with the Padma Bhushan. It goes without saying that he deserves it, and the people of this country are aware too,” was the general sentiment expressed by members of the film fraternity, as conveyed to The Federal.

However, none of them wanted to be quoted by name. Mammootty himself came up with a social media post congratulating Chiranjeevi for being bestowed with the honour.

Beyond the discontentment over Mammootty’s exclusion from the Padma Bhushan or Padma Vibhushan, the inclusion of Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, a scion of the erstwhile Travancore royal family, has drawn sharp criticism.

Gouri Lakshmi sparks controversy

Gouri Lakshmi Bayi, who recently sparked controversy with a statement insinuating that certain Hindu monks clad in saffron robes communicate in a manner reminiscent of Islamists, has consistently enjoyed patronage from the Hindutva rightwing.

Some time ago, she made headlines for an infamous assertion that there was scientific evidence supporting the claim that plants will wither if touched by a menstruating woman. Another controversial remark from her suggested that the uproar in the Kerala Assembly sessions was due to the building not being constructed according to Vaastu.

Other winners

The most recent controversy involving the niece of the last King of Travancore emerged when a government body, in an invitation card for an event commemorating the 1936 Temple Entry Proclamation, referred to her as ‘Thampuratty’ (Her Highness). This was seen as excessively complimentary and reverential and sparked criticism.

“May the world be stunned witnessing the scientific temper of our country that bestows such honours for these Padma queens,” Prof S Saradakkutty, author and social commentator, sarcastically wrote on the Facebook.

BJP veteran and former Union minister O Rajagopal, along with former Supreme Court judge M Fathima Beevi (posthumous), won the Padma Bhushan Awards from Kerala this time. Renowned Kathakali maestro Sadanam PV Balakrishnan, traditional Theyyam folk dancer Narayanan EP, dedicated paddy conservator Sathyanarayana Beleri, esteemed spiritual leader Swami Muni Narayana Prasad and the late educationist P Chitran Namboodirippad have been chosen for the Padma Shri.