Mammootty has secured an unenviable place in Malayalam cinema, which he has strengthened with memorable performances from time to time.

Who doesn’t remember Joseph Alex’s acerbic dialogues in The King? Can anyone forget Iyer, the Brahmin CBI officer in Oru CBI Diary Kurippu, the upright officer who unfolds the secrets of a murder shrouded in mystery? Mahavankutty in Hitler, an over-protective and over possessive brother of his five sisters! Who could be the man who breathed flesh and blood into roles as variegated as these other than Mammootty? God for some and a role model for others.

Mammootty or Mammooka, as he is fondly called, brought to the fore a new facet of villainy nuances of politicians and above all the manifold dimensions of a hero. In an exclusive interview Mammootty, who was in Bangalore recently, shared his thoughts about acting, the film industry and new ventures.

To Mammootty, the message of his role in a movie is secondary. “The role must convince me,” he says. “And the character or role that I play should provoke audience’s thoughts.”

Mammootty will soon complete 25 years of his stint in films. Is he very choosy about films. Is there any role that Mammootty holds very close to his heart. “Every role I play is close to my heart. Whether good or bad I take the responsibility for the roles I play. I have to convince myself that I am the chatacter. I have to get into the character’s mind, gesticulation, movement, thinking, dialect and appearance. The challenge is in bringing the character alive.”

Well known for living up to his social responsibilities  including the latest movement aginst ‘Shakeela porn film’, what does he have to say about violence in Malayalam films. “What violence? Malayalam films have practically no violence when compared to other language films.” Says Mammootty and adda that “violence in Malayalam movies is of a different kind. There is emotional violence and intellectual violence. You have to be violent emotionally.”

Has Mammootty ever thought of acting in a Kannada movie? “I don’t mind acting in a Kannada film but is there a role for me?” he asks. However, he has his reservations and limitations to act in a Kannada film. “I should be able to speak the language. Unless you know the culture and have a flair for the language you will not success in making an impact. If I act in a Kannada film that I am one among them. I don’t want to be an alien actor coming from Kerala speaking an alien language which they do not understand.”

In one of his forthcoming releases Black, he plays the role of a goonda who is physically strong but vulnerable emotionally. In Vesham, he plays the role of an affectionate, family-loving man. Does Mammootty take time off to be with his family? “I take my wife around with me wherever I go. She is my only companion. My children are not with me. They’re abroad. But I have brought them up very well.”