Madhu: I retired after missing out on Lucifer but Mammootty persuaded me to do one more film

The 92-year-old Malayalam actor Madhu opens up about how he decided to retire from the silver screen after missing out on Prithviraj Sukumaran’s directorial debut film Lucifer in 2019.

Mohanlal in Lucifer, Mammootty with Madhu

Veteran Malayalam actor Madhu is one of the yesteryear heroes who continue to grace our screens, albeit only occasionally. The 92-year-old actor, who starred alongside Malayalam’s evergreen hero Prem Nazir, recently opened up about how he decided to retire from the silver screen after missing out on Prithviraj Sukumaran’s directorial debut film Lucifer in 2019. But it was Malayalam megastar Mammootty who persuaded him to return to the sets and act in the movie, One.

When Madhu decided to retire from films

When Malayalam star Prithivraj Sukumaran decided to make his directorial debut with the Mohanlal-starrer Lucifer, he had also approached the veteran actor Madhu for a role. Prithviraj had also narrated the story to Madhu in person. However, Madhu was not able to act in the movie as he suffered a fall and sustained injuries to his eye, the veteran actor revealed during an interview with Ginger Media Entertainments.

Madhu said that he took it as an omen to end his long cinematic career, which began in the early 1960s. The Lucifer team was ready to push the dates and wait for the legend, but Madhu decided against it.

However, Madhu, still celebrated for his performance in the iconic movie Chemmeen, was finally persuaded to rethink his decision by none other than Mammootty, who has never shied away from expressing his admiration for the great actor.

Mammotty approached Madhu for a role in his political movie One. “Mammootty insisted that I act in his movie, as his college professor. He said that not just him, even the director, envisioned me in the role. But I said I cannot come for the movie. You guys will have to come here,” Madhu recollected. Eventually, the shoot was held at a house near to Madhu’s home in Thiruvananthapuram.

The movie One, which released in 2021, featured Mammootty in the role of the Chief Minister. Madhu, on the other hand, made a cameo appearance as his retired professor Vasudeva Panicker. Mammootty had also last year posted a photo with Madhu, hailing him as the superstar.

On the other hand, Prithviraj is busy with the promotions of his upcoming Telugu movie Varanasi, helmed by SS Rajamouli. Mammootty also just announced that he is part of the Tamil movie D55 starring Dhanush.

Also read: Varanasi: Prithviraj Sukumaran spills beans on his Kumbha role, terms him a very ‘dangerous man who is…’

Madhu FAQs

Q. Who is Madhu?

A. Madhu is a legendary Malayalam actor, who was one of the prominent heroes during the 1960s and 1970s.

Q. Which was the first film of Madhu?

A. The first film of Madhu is Ninamaninja Kalpadukal in 1963.

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