Malayalam superstar Mammootty has become a target of a hate campaign by Sangh parivar sympathisers on social media over a 2022 movie in which he plays a Brahmin who vehemently opposes his sister marrying a Dalit man.

The critically acclaimed movie, Puzhu (Worm), released during the Covid year on OTT was lapped up and acclaimed by progressive and Dalit groups and activists as a strong message against caste discrimination prevalent even in a society like Kerala known for its syncretic culture.

While the movie had fuelled some online protests soon after its release, the sudden turn of events leading to the cyberattack against Mammootty was fuelled by allegations by Sharshad Baniyandy, husband of Ratheena who directed Puzhu.

In a lengthy interview with an online Malayalam news portal, Sharshad alleged that Mammootty was supposed to work on another script by Ratheena but things took a rapid turn in launching the Puzhu project.

Sharshad claimed that he had objected to his wife working on her first big film with a script that poorly depicts a member of an upper-caste community. He went on to blame some “outside interventions that injected the idea” into her wife’s mind.

While the purpose of the interview was to narrate the trials and tribulations of Sharshad in his personal and professional life, the bit he spoke about Puzhu got amplified on the Sangh parivar’s social media handles.

Sangh parivar sympathisers chose to identify Mammootty by his full name, Mohammed Kutty, to lay emphasis on his faith.

“Although Malayalis as a whole loved the great actor named Mammootty, they didn’t figure out the Islamist in Mohammed Kutty,” commented a person named Raghavan Maniyara, whose Facebook page establishes him as a hardcore Sangh parivar
sympathiser.

Some didn’t even spare Mammootty’s son and popular actor Dulquer Salman by displaying images of the two.

“Will those who have decided not to watch films of these men like this post?” the Hindu Help Center Facebook group commented.

But once again Kerala rose in unison to support its favourite actor who has been a household name for five decades as he ruled the Malayalam film industry along with Mohanlal until the new crop of actors such as Fahadh Faasil entered the scene with a bang.

Revenue minister K. Rajan was among the state leaders who extended solidarity with the actor under cyberattack.

“The Sanghi politics that calls Mammootty as Mohammed Kutty, Kamal as Kamaluddin and Vijay as Joseph Vijay will not work here. This is Kerala,” he commented
on Facebook.

While Kamal is an acclaimed filmmaker from Kerala, Vijay is a Tamil superstar who too comes under the Sangh parivar’s attack over his faith.

Education minister V. Sivankutty shared a picture of him seated with Mammootty with the comment: “That grain won’t cook here. Mammootty is the pride of Malayalis.”

Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal expressed solidarity with Mammootty and said the Kerala society would never support the ongoing hate campaign. “Kerala’s secular society will never stand with any attempt to brand an actor with such clear political outlook and acting skills.”

The hate campaign comes just a week ahead of the May 23 release of Mammootty’s latest film, Turbo.