It’s easy to draw parallels between Mammootty’s 2020s reinvention and the role he essays in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam. While reviewing the film for RogerEbert.com, Simon Abrahams described Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam as a ‘deep and abidingly strange trip to Pellissery’s memory palace’. For me, it was equally about Mammootty’s stellar performance that also earned him the best actor award at the highly competitive 53rd Kerala State Film Awards. The film that translates to ‘Like an Afternoon Dream’ finds Mammootty in a reincarnation of sorts through a bizarre chain of events. The same can be said about Mammootty’s 2020s cinematic journey that has seen him enjoy a dream run in an all-new avatar.

The thespian is all set for the release of Bramayugam that has already got expectations soaring after the release of its dark and disturbing black-and-white trailer. Mammootty has revealed that Bramayugam is set in the late 18th century when the Portuguese arrived in Kerala. We take you through some of Mammootty’s must-watch recent films that capture Mammootty version 2.0.

Unda (2019)

This was one of the first films that marked the start of Mammootty 2.0. A black comedy co-starring Shine Tom Chacko and Arjun Ashokan, Unda draws from a real incident during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Mammootty plays a sub-inspector heading a nine-men police unit from Kerala that arrives in an area in Chhattisgarh that is the stronghold of Maoist forces. The film captures how the unit conducts the elections peacefully with just eight leftover bullets (‘unda’ means bullet in Malayalam) after a showdown.

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video.

Bheeshma Parvam (2022)

The top-grossing Malayalam of 2022 and one of the top five Malayalam blockbusters of all time features an ensemble cast that includes Soubin Shahir and Shine Tom Chacko. Mammootty holds this gangster saga together with a powerful performance as Anjooti Michael Michealappan, the patriarch of the Anjooti family. Director Amal Neerad, who had also directed Trance, teamed up with Mammootty after more than a decade (following the success of Big B) and is tipped to reunite with the actor for a Big B sequel in 2025.

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar

Puzhu (2022)

Many critics called this a ‘disturbing mystery thriller’, a bold take on the dehumanising effects of the caste system. Directed by debutant Ratheena, Puzhu features Mammootty as Kuttan, a high-ranking IPS officer and a widower whose overprotective nature is suffocating for his young son. The film skipped a theatrical release, opting instead for an OTT premiere.

Watch it on: Sony LIV

Rorschach (2022)

Named after the psychological test, this neo-noir psychological thriller was produced by Mammootty’s company – Mammootty Kampany. Rorschach won approval from the critics and the box office for Mammootty’s portrayal as an NRI businessman on a revenge mission. The film also features Asif Ali in a pivotal role but ultimately it was Mammootty’s performance with several shades of grey that lifted this film.

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar

Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2023)

This film is Mammootty’s first collaboration with critically acclaimed director Lijo Jose Pellissery whose resume includes cult classics like Angamaly Diaries. It was voted as the best film of 2023 at the 53rd Kerala State Film Awards. Mammootty plays James, who wakes up on a bus believing he is Sundaram, a man who disappeared from a remote village in Tamil Nadu years ago.

Watch it on: Netflix

Kannur Squad (2023)

We’ve seen a slew of police thrillers rule the roost in Malayalam cinema. Kannur Squad, a police procedural, was one of the biggest Malayalam blockbusters of the year and marked the directorial debut of cinematographer Roby Varghese Raj. Mammootty plays ASI George Martin in the film that seeks inspiration from the real-life story of police officers who were part of the Kannur Squad, a crime investigation unit formed by former Kannur SP S Sreejith.

Watch it on: Disney+ Hotstar

Kaathal – The Core (2023)

If there’s one film that can challenge Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam as one of the best films of 2023, it is Kaathal. Directed by Jeo Baby, who had helmed The Great Indian Kitchen, Kaathal features Mammootty and Jyotika as a couple in a loveless marriage. Mammootty is a revelation as Mathew Devassy, who has to confront his sexuality even as he competes in a panchayat by-election. The courtroom drama stands out for the dignity with which the couple deal with their predicament.

Watch it on: Amazon Prime Video