Forget the actor, it's Mohanlal the producer who should make a comeback; the one behind both his National Awards for Best Actor

Seeing the recent success of Thudarum, it's almost impossible not to wonder how the same Mohanlal - who is still capable of delivering spectacular performances, as he demonstrated in the Tharun Moorthy directorial, completely shedding his star mantle and effectively silencing his critics - kept bombarding audiences with atrocities such as Ittymaani: Made in China (2019), Kaappaan (2019), Big Brother (2020), Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham (2021), Aaraattu (2022), Monster (2022), Alone (2023), and the biggest bomb of all, his directorial debut Barroz (2024), one after the other over the past few years.

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Although he did offer decent films like Drishyam 2 (2021), Neru (2023), and Malaikottai Vaaliban (2024) during the same period, his cinematic dumpster fires far outnumbered the not-bad entries, making one wonder if his involvement in the better projects was merely accidental. In fact, it's hard not to ask: where did the old Mohanlal go?

No, I'm not talking about the actor he once was; probably in his 20s, 30s or even 40s. It's senseless to expect someone in their 60s to perform with the same agility and intensity they had at half their age. But I’m not referring to the actor in him. I'm talking about the producer instead; the Mohanlal who once threw his weight behind exceptional films, sensing the true potential of a story, a project or a director, and turning himself into the creative rock on which a film could be built. What happened to that Mohanlal, the one who could recognise and help realise great films?

Before he began frequently collaborating with Aashirvad Cinemas, a production house established by his driver-turned-confidante-turned-close friend Antony Perumbavoor, Mohanlal, who turns 65 on Wednesday (May 21), had personally bankrolled over a dozen and a half films. In hindsight, many of these projects not only played a key role in elevating his stature as an actor but also stand among the finest mainstream Malayalam films of their era. Mohanlal entered film production for the first time alongside fellow superstar Mammootty. A poster of director Sathyan Anthikad’s Gandhinagar 2nd Street bearing the name of the production banner, Casino Films.