Mohanlal reacts to Ranjith’s criticisms on his Thrissur slang in Thoovanathumbikal; real-life Jayakrishnan defends the actor

Mohanlal has been considered one of the finest actors the Indian film industry has ever seen. The Malayalam superstar, who has completed 46 years in showbiz, has astonished his fans and cine-goers with some unmatched performances over the years. Thoovanathumbikal, the 1987-released Padmarajan-directorial, is one of the Mohanlal films that stood the test of time and earned cult status over the years.

However, the classic movie made headlines recently after filmmaker Ranjith openly criticised Mohanlal’s dialogue delivery in the film. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman stated that the superstar’s Thrissur slang in the film was bad and inaccurate. The veteran actor, however, is now winning the internet with his graceful response to the criticism.

Mohanlal admits his Thoovanathumbikal Thrissur slang is flawed

In a recent interview with a leading Malayalam media outlet, Mohanlal admitted that his Thrissur slang in Thoovanathumbikal is indeed flawed. The superstar, who accepted Ranjith’s criticism, stated that he performed in the iconic film exactly the way director Padmarajan asked him to. The Neru actor also pointed out that he couldn’t get the slang right, as he is not from Thrissur. He added that nobody was there to correct his slang at that point.

Also Read: Mohanlal says Neru is one of his favourite films as an actor; opens up about his role 

Mohanlal also agreed with Ranjith, who opined that the real Thrissur slang is nothing like the dialect used in the Padmarajan film. The superstar admitted that people who hail from Thrissur usually never speak the way he speaks in Thoovanathumbikal. The veteran actor also revealed that the dialect was used in a deliberately mocked way at many points.

Also Read: Mohanlal says L2 Empuraan has a ‘brilliant’ script; drops major updates on release date and shooting schedules 

Real-life Jayakrishnan defends Mohanlal

However, Adv. Unni Menon, who was the real inspiration behind Mohanlal’s character Mannarathodi Jayakrishnan in Thoovanathumbikal, has now extended support to the actor. In a recent chat with a leading Malayalam daily, Unni Menon opined that Mohanlal is just brilliant in the role of Jayakrishnan in the Padmarajan directorial. The 84-year-old also defended the superstar’s flawed Thrissur dialect, stating that even people like him who have lived their entire lives in the city can’t speak in the real slang perfectly.

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