Mohanlal's Sabarimala

Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal visited the sacred Sabarimala temple on Tuesday (March 18) to pray and invoke the blessings of Lord Ayyappa.

While everyone thought that it was his usual visit for his highly awaited film L2: Empuraan, Mohanlal's gesture for his friend and fellow superstar Mammootty hogged the headlines.

Mohanlal, on his journey, had even conducted a special Usha Pooja (morning prayer) in the name of "Muhammad Kutty, Vishakham," the full name of Mammootty.

This gesture comes after recent rumours about Mammootty's health that had sent fans and the film fraternity into a tizzy. Mohanlal's pilgrimage to Sabarimala, his first in nearly a decade since 2015, was marked by devotion and humility.

He is taking the irumudikettu (traditional offering) from Ganapathi Kovil and will be coming back from the temple on Wednesday morning after Neyyabhishekam (a ritual ghee offering to the deity).

Mohanlal

The special prayer for Mammootty takes on significance in the aftermath of recent rumors about the health of the veteran actor.

A few days ago, there were rumors that Mammootty had been diagnosed with cancer, and this had created widespread concern.

But his team soon countered these claims as completely false. In a statement to Mid-Day, Mammootty's team clarified that the actor is fasting for Ramadan and therefore missing out on public events.

They also assured the public that Mammootty is perfectly well and will resume work shortly, including his next movie with Mohanlal, directed by Mahesh Narayanan.

Mohanlal and Mammootty, the two of them also referred to as the pillars of Malayalam cinema, are not the only rival actors on screen. They are as close buddies off-screen as well, and Mohanlal's action at Sabarimala is testimony to the same. This is not the first time that Mohanlal has stood by Mammootty. The two superstars have always stood by one another, professionally and personally as well, leaving behind an example of companionship in the industry.

While there have been headlines about Mohanlal's pilgrims to Sabarimala, the actor also has a busy year ahead of him. His much-awaited film L2: Empuraan, which also features Prithviraj Sukumaran, is hitting screens on March 27.

L2 Empuraan

He has also announced the third instalment of the hit series Drishyam. Once he completes his current assignments, Mohanlal will return to the sets of Mahesh Narayanan's MMMN, in which he will be acting alongside Mammootty.

The film, which has been promoted as Narayanan's biggest till now, has already generated enormous excitement among viewers.

On the other hand, Mammootty's new film, Bazooka, with Gautham Menon is scheduled to release on April 10, 2025.

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