9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
When Mohanlal slapped a man for ridiculing one of Malayalam cinema's greatest superstars: ‘I would still do the same'
Although Mohanlal has always projected himself as a peace-loving, calm and composed person, who is not easily swayed or disturbed by life's outcomes, and often appears to be in a near-constant state of zen, there have been instances when the actor lost his cool. In fact, he once admitted to flying into a rage and slapping someone for allegedly badmouthing one of Malayalam cinema's all-time greatest superstars. Mohanlal explained that he endured the person's rambling for as long as he could, but eventually reacted after reaching his tipping point.
'Things like that happen. You hit someone only when you have absolutely no other option, right? However, even now, if such a situation arises, I will do the same,' Mohanlal once shared during an appearance on Kairali TV's JB Junction, a talk show that was hosted by John Brittas, who is now a parliamentarian who represents the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in the Rajya Sabha.
He further stated that he resorted to this extreme step because the person, whose identity neither of them disclosed, persistently disparaged legendary actor Prem Nazir for a long time. 'It's a reflex action, isn't it? When someone keeps saying something like that for a long time… He continuously ridiculed that person (Prem Nazir) for two to three hours. Everything has a pinnacle and a zenith, right? You can't go beyond that. At that time, I did it. Even now, that might be my reaction if a similar situation arises,' Mohanlal added.
For the uninitiated, Prem Nazir is widely regarded as one of the most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema and is often referred to as Nithyaharitha Nayakan (Evergreen Hero). Besides appearing in as many as 720 films as a lead actor, Nazir also acted opposite the same heroine (Sheela) in 130 films, thus Guinness World Record for 'longest screen partnership'. Mohanlal and Prem Nazir shared the screen in several films, including Lal Americayil (1989), Thenum Vayambum (1981), Aattakalasam (1983), Sanchari (1981), Padayottam (1982), Marakkillorikkalum (1983), Attimari (1981), Ente Katha (1983) and Kadathanadan Ambadi (1990), among others.
