How does Mammootty’s linguistic prowess enable him to move from being the Muslim “other” to an embodiment of the “standard” Malayalee man? Afeef Ahmed analyses the multiple ways by which Mammootty, both as an actor and an individual, negotiates his identity and selfhood through language.
Afeef Ahmed
In a video that went viral a few months back, Dhyan Sreenivasan, an actor in the Malayalam film industry, spoke about his initial thoughts after watching the edited cut of Kadha Parayumbol, a movie written by Sreenivasan, his father and a prominent actor. Even though Dhyan had predicted that the movie would fail, the audience response when it hit the theatres was the opposite. He was himself moved to tears by the film. He credits this transformation to how the movie dealt with sound and how the lead actor Mammootty, enhanced his voice, which was raw and spotted in the cut, through dubbing. Dhyan calls this ‘pure magic’ and adds that the way Mammootty deals with language and voice makes him a magician.
Mammootty completed 51 years in the industry this year as one of its finest actors. He is considered one of the finest embodiments of the “standard” Malayalam language, as his ability to perform/pronounce it effortlessly has received wide critical acclaim. His linguistic proficiency in dubbing, as Dhyan Sreenivasan recalled, enhances his acting performances. Interestingly, he is widely acclaimed for his mastery of various Malayalam dialects and his portrayal of linguistically-rooted vernacular characters. Mammootty’s use of language also plays a crucial role in how he presents himself. He negotiates his identity as a Muslim through the language-play he enables in his successful on-screen and off-screen appearances. He is considered the perfect “difference” (that which doesn’t retain any artificial elements) in acquiring the vernacular register and as the perfect “standard” by using his “phallic/ potency figure” (Osella & Osella 2002) as the ideal masculine version of the standard Malayalam. This article will discuss how language functions as the performance of its two supposedly contradictory natures –the vernacular and the standard1– in Mammootty’s off-screen and on-screen performances and engagements and how he uses this domination over language to free his Muslim identity from the realm of the “fascinating other” (Osella & Osella 2002, pp.32).
Embracing the Standard
“Irumbaani thatti Mulayaani vech ponkaaram kond churika vilaykkan kollanu pathinaru panam koduthavan Chandu… Maattangachurika chodichappol marann poyenn kalav paranjavan Chandhu”(Chandu is the one who bribed the blacksmith with sixteen coins to change the metal bolt of the stiletto… Chandu is the one who lied when he was asked for a different stiletto)
– Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, 1989
This monologue, delivered by Mammootty as Chandu in the movie Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (A Northern Ballad of Valour), calls our attention to its use of Malayalam language. The story is a re-investigation of the life of Chandu Chekavar2 as an unsung hero, in contrast to his conventional portrayal as a villain/ traitor. It draws upon medieval ballads called Vadakkan pattukal3 from the north of Kerala, Eranaadu, to be precise. However, the screenplay, written by M. T. Vasudevan Nair wilfully ignores the Ernaadu4 dialect, even though it maintains the geographical specificity of the region. The movie instead presents the story in a valluvanaadan (South Malabar region) dialect, which “M. T. himself circulated and cemented – apart from helping [it] to standardize, if not hegemonize” (Ansari 2015). Furthermore, in the process of “standardizing/purifying” the dialect, the question of caste was also rendered mute. The film places a story of the Thiyya5 community in an upper-caste setting of central Kerala. In this way, by convincingly erasing the linguistic difference and detaching the historical context from its linguistic variations, the movie narrates a historical epic drama of “Kerala” rather than Eranaadu.
Another movie that draws our attention to its similar use of language is Kerala Varma Pazhassi Raja (Dir. by Hariharan: 2009), an epic drama depicting the life of a local king who fought the East India Company in the 18th century. The valluvanadan dialect comes into play as the “standard” language of the protagonist, another role donned by Mammootty, even when the other characters speak in specific dialects.
Both Vadakkan Veeragatha and Pazzassi Raja are examples of how historical epic dramas, regardless of regional specificities, are shown to represent the modern nation-state or an entity of structural power. Through such choices, the standard form of the language “becomes the legitimate form, and other forms become, in the popular mind, illegitimate”. Thus, it becomes the language that “share[s] in the (glorious) history of that nation-state” (Milroy 2001, 547). The valluvanadan dialect, which is conventionally considered prestigious in popular culture like cinema and literature6, is presented as the standard Malayalam language of the state.
In both films, Mammootty, a Muslim, becomes the choice to perform/give voice to these characters. The body and voice of Mammootty present these historically parochial characters as “Malayali” figures. Different scholars7 have noted that Mammootty’s roles exhibit a model of masculinity and maturity that appeal to the fantasies of young men and women. Such academic works credit his rise as the masculine hero to his portrayal of power and patriarchal values. They argue that Mammootty solidifies his position as the standard by appearing as the solid head of the family. However, they miss out on the fact that this fascination is also made possible by the specific way in which that body performs a desired and “prestigious” variety of Malayalam. For instance, Jagathi Sreekumar, a theatre artist and a veteran actor, once said:
“There are some important acting techniques that one should take care of when performing epic characters: Aangikam, Aaharyam, Vaachyam. Only an actor who possesses all these techniques can perform a historical character. Mammootty is blessed with that. The heavy voice, the masculine body, knowledge and awareness about the grammar of the language, purity in pronouncing it, the ascent and descent in utterance – through all these skills, he can produce an entire lifeworld of performance”. (My translation)
Here, Jagathi considers Mammootty’s linguistic (cap)abilities a measure of his prowess. It is his ability to embrace the standard language and not just his masculine figure makes him the perfect candidate to represent a standardized form of Malayalam. Thus, how the actor as Chandu or Pazhassi Raja speaks the grammatically and phonetically sound version of print-Malayalam gains attention and acceptance.
Performing the secular standard
“Muhammed Kutty was my grandfather’s name… I felt awkward while carrying this name as it looked very old. Thus, when I entered college, I responded to everyone who asked my name by saying that it was Omar Sharif (a famous actor). But somehow, one of my friends got to know my real name, and they started mocking me by calling me Mammootty. That’s how I got this name.” (My translation)
(From the documentary ‘Nakshatrangalude Rajakumaran’)
This anecdote shows us how Mammootty negotiates his identity through his name, which is, officially, Muhammed Kutty Panaparambil Ismail. Mammootty, a name that doesn’t explicitly signify any particular religion/community/geography, helps him to negotiate his public “standard” identity. Language negotiations such as this, enable him to identify with a standardized form of language and aid his alignment with the ideals of a secular state (Duranti 1997).
Mammootty presents himself as an embodiment of secularism in its conservative sense– the old ‘church/state – public/private’ divide8 – and adheres to it sincerely. A well-known example is his public criticism of a Muslim League minister who refused to light a ‘nilavilakku’ (oil lamp) at an event, citing religious reasons. Mammootty, the next speaker, publicly criticized the refusal by stating that he was also a Muslim who prayed and lived according to the religious mandates and didn’t bring his religious preferences into the public.9 Mammootty associates himself with the politics of the Left or a left-liberal political identity, even if it is not publicly acknowledged.10 By positioning himself alongside a political front that is considered progressive and liberal, Mammootty negotiates with his identity in the public sphere and successfully re-configures a publicly acceptable ‘secular’ identity. It allows him to mask his vulnerable Muslim identity that otherwise carries certain “stereotypes and stigmas” (Punathil 2013). All these negotiations and re-configurations of identity help Mammootty position himself as the true representative of the “standard Malayali man.”
Performing the Dialects
We have so far discussed Mammootty’s constant negotiations with various positionalities that determine his embodiment of a standard. This section will discuss Mammootty’s prowess in embodying and voicing the regionalities” (Venkiteswaran 2021). Mammootty’s ability to perform different linguistic variations is widely acknowledged and celebrated by his critics and fans. One can find numerous videos on YouTube, titled, “Mammootty: The King of Dialects” and “The Master of Slangs”. This ability to articulate multiple dialects gives him an upper hand over his fellow actor Mohanlal, who falls short in performing linguistically-demanding roles. For instance, Asianet News editor and veteran journalist M. G. Radhakrishnan remarked:
I don’t know about perfection, but he is the first Malayali actor to have done so much experimentation with slang. None of his predecessors or contemporaries could get out of their own native slang, irrespective of the characters they played. Thikkurissi, Sathyan, Prem Nazeer and Madhu were prisoners of Thiruvananthapuram slang, while Soman and Mohanlal had a mix of central Travancore and Thiruvananthapuram. Sukumaran had a neutral accent. Mammootty is the only actor who could do Thiruvananthapuram (Rajamanikyam), Kochi (Danny, Manglish), Thrissur (Pranchiyettan…) Kanjirappalli (Koodevidey, Kottayam Kunjachan) and even South Canara (Vidheyan).
It is this distinctive ability to come out of a linguistic parochialism that gives him titles such as “the king of dialects”.
Dialects are an attribute of difference. Most dialects represent regional-minor identities, often considered the opposite of the “pure” or “sacred”. This standard/non-standard dichotomy in language is driven by ideologies. The standard variant, which is ‘neither better nor worse than any other dialect’ (Milroy 2001, pp. 543), is idealised through constant valorisations. A mastery of dialects is one of the main enabling tools that Mammootty uses to make himself invisible on screen. With his unparalleled modulating control over voice, pathos and melancholy, Mammootty is successful in this process of linguistic transcendence without showing an iota of effort. The Malayalam film industry also acknowledges Mammootty for introducing the language/dialect consultant. He thus made dialects “achievable” through practice and training, enabling him to easily “transmigrate into becoming a Kottayam Christian, a Coastal Latin Catholic, a Konkani-Brahmin, an Iyer, a Nair karanavar and a Muslim aristocrat” (Venkiteswaran 2021). In this context, Mammootty’s performances are like “continuous acts of ‘doing’ than continuous state of “being’,”, where a conscious effort is taken to achieve expertise (Ahearn 2021).11 The actor, when he performs the dialects is seen as “coming down” from the “standard”. His public appearance as a marker of standard, is negotiated in this process of performing the “non-standard”.
Conclusion
I have looked into the various aspects by which Mammootty, as an actor, negotiates and overcomes his minority identity by performing dialectical variations and representing the standard version of the Malayalam language. I have also tried to understand how these negotiations get mediated through his political positioning. Language plays an important role in locating himself in public as a “standard” through voice modulation and stylistic improvisation. A dual-star presence dominates the Malayalam film industry, where Mohanlal and Mammootty are considered the major stars with their own commanding fanbases. Mammootty’s linguistic ability and articulation always dominate over Mohanlal, an equally beloved actor, in local fan fights and studies that look at their acting performance and skills. Language is the vehicle through which he overcomes his Muslim identity and embodies the dominant understanding of the ‘standard’. In conclusion, by constantly shifting between the standard and the dialect, Mammootty successfully negotiates his otherwise precarious minority identity in the public sphere.
Works Cited:
- Ahearn, Laura M. Performance, Performativity and Community. Living language: An introduction to linguistic anthropology. John Wiley & Sons, 2021.
- Ansari, M. T. Islam and nationalism in India: South Indian contexts. Routledge, 2015.
- DD Malayalam Documentary on Mammootty; ‘Nakshathrangalude Rajakumaran’ (The Prince of Stars): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1cpBRn5v8&t=1013s
- Duranti, A. Linguistic Anthropology. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. 1997
- Milroy, James. “Language ideologies and the consequences of standardization.” Journal of Sociolinguistics 5/4, 2001: 530-555
- Ochs, Elinor, and Carolyn Taylor. “The “father knows best” dynamic in dinnertime narratives.” Gender articulated: Language and the socially constructed self (1995): 97-120.
- Osella, Caroline and Osella, Filippo . ‘Malayali young men and their movie heroes.’ In: Chopra, Radhika, Osella, Caroline and Osella, Filippo, (eds.), South Asian masculinities: context of change, sites of continuity. New Delhi: Women Unlimited, an associate of Kali for Women (2004).
- Punathil, Salah. “Kerala Muslims And Shifting Notions Of Religion In The Public Sphere.” South Asia Research 33/01, 2013: 1-20.
- Prof. C.S Jayaram on Mammootty:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86ynHIa4kas
- Venkiteswaran C.S, Mammootty- The Discreet Masculine Charm. Film Companion. September 7, 2021.
Author Bio: Afeef Ahmed is a second year Master’s student in Society and Culture programme at IIT Gandhinagar, Gujarat. His research interests lie in Sound Studies, Cinema and Religion.
