Mammootty's life and career to be part of Bachelor's Degree curriculum

How many of us can boast of having our life or career included as part of a syllabus taught in the school or college we studied? But then, we are not Mammootty. The superstar's alma mater — Maharaja's College in Ernakulam, Kerala — will now include a chapter dedicated to the celebrated thespian.

The curriculum is part of the second-year BA History program titled 'History of Malayalam Cinema' in the chapter Sensing Celluloid: History of Malayalam Cinema. Mammootty is one of the noted alumni of the college, along with other eminent personalities such as A. Sreedhara Menon (historian), author N.S. Madhavan, filmmakers Rajeev Ravi and Amal Neerad, and cinematographer Shyju Khalid, among others.

Another Maharaja's College alumnus, Dakshayani Velayudhan, a noted social reformer and revolutionary, is mentioned in the chapter about Kochi's history.

Other legendary film personalities included in the aforementioned chapter are Prem Nazir, Sathyan, Madhu, Mohanlal, Jayan, Sheela, Sharada, Padmarajan and Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

Mammootty completed his undergraduate studies at Maharaja's College before pursuing his law degree from Government Law College, Ernakulam. He made his first screen appearance as a junior artiste in 1971, in Anubhavangal Paalichakal, which was headlined by Prem Nazir, Sathyan and Sheela, the three other icons of Malayalam cinema mentioned in the chapter.

It would take another decade, and a few hindrances along the way, for him to get noticed in his first lead role in Thrishna, scripted by M.T. Vasudevan Nair and directed by I.V. Sasi. Interestingly, M.T. had cast Mammootty in his first major role, while the latter was a practising lawyer, in the 1979 film Devalokam. Unfortunately, the film did not see the light of day owing to various constraints.

Recently, the actor's acclaimed horror thriller Bramayugam, directed by Rahul Sadasivan, was used as a case study at a UK film school for students to learn the film's exceptional sound design.

Entertainment