Legendary Mammootty Joins Amitabh & Kamal

For movie artists and technicians in India, securing a National Award is considered as the pinnacle of their careers. While the coveted recognition is still elusive for many great performers, only a few exceptional actors are literally sitting on the top of the peak with four such awards to their credit.

With the declaration of the 72nd National Film Awards, Malayalam stalwart actor Mammootty has achieved something remarkable at the twilight of his career.

By winning his fourth National Film Award as Best Actor for his stupendous portrayal of the menacing sorcerer Kodumon Potti in the black-and-white psychological horror masterpiece Bramayugam, Mammootty has joined the ranks of legendary stars Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Hassan, who are the only other actors to win the prestigious National Award four times in Best Actor category.

What makes Mammootty’s journey to this fourth award so special and phenomenal is the versatility of the roles that brought him here.

He got hands on the award for the first time in 1989 for his brilliant performances in Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and Mathilukal, followed by his masterclasses in Vidheyan and Ponthan Mada in 1993. He then made it three with the portrayal of father of the Indian Constitution in the English-language biographical epic Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar.

Ultimately, Mammootty’s fourth National Award is more than just a personal milestone. It is truly a reflection for his thirst to pull off author backed roles even as many of his contemporaries in other languages still strive to appear in commercial films to please their fans.

2026 is undoubtedly a memorable year for Mammootty because he not only secured a Padma Award after 28 years in the form of Padma Bhushan, but also grabbed the National Award for the first time since 1998, which is in fact a very rare coincidence.