In the four decades that spanned his illustrious career, veteran Malayalam actor Mamukkoya was careful to maintain a distance from all political parties, but never from politics itself. “We will live and die on the land we were born into, and we don’t need anybody’s permission for that,” he once said to thunderous applause in his home town of Kozhikode, openly registering his protest against the Union government’s contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
Inaugurating the Shaheen Bagh Square protest by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in February 2020, Mamukkoya had said, “It doesn’t matter who is organising it, it is my responsibility to be part of an event that stands in solidarity with Shaheen Bagh. Because those protests are for me too. I stand in solidarity with them today, so that my children and grandchildren can live freely and peacefully in this country.”
Refusing to turn a Nelson’s eye to the country’s deliberate politicisation of religion, Mamukkoya often stressed on the need to react and resist, and not succumb to fear. “A majority of my friends are from other communities, that is how I have lived my whole life. I am concerned that someone is trying to put an end to that aspect of my life. This will affect my existence, and that of my younger generations too. When our existence is targeted, we need to resist,” he had asserted.
Even within the film industry, Mamukkoya was probably the only senior actor who took a strong stand against actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the infamous actor assault case of 2017. Speaking to the media from Kuwait at the time, Mamukkoya had stated outright that the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A.) should not bring Dileep back to the organisation when he was an accused in such a case. Law should be equal to all, he had said.
Mamukkoya was also strongly critical of the religious leaders who preached that lighting lamps, listening to music, or watching movies were against Islam. “When I was about to light a lamp for an event, someone asked me if I was allowed to do that. I don't believe that my religion gets adversely affected by such trivial matters. My religion is my culture,” he had said once.
He has also openly criticised a Mahallu committee for ousting a Muslim student for learning dance in Kalamandalam. “Another family was ostracised for shooting a wedding video. Where are we heading to,” he asked.
In a public event three years ago, Mamukkoya spoke very critically of restrictions imposed on Muslims by Islamic preachers. “There is a speaker called Mujahid Balussery. How offensively he speaks. Is Islam so bad? Music and other art forms are gifts from god. How can they be banned? The mosque that I go to once announced that we should not have food from Hindu houses during Onam. I objected to it because I know that I don't belong to a bad religion,” he said.
“I have my politics, but I am not affiliated to any party,” Mamukkoya has always asserted. “If I get attached to one, I will not be able to criticise it and instead will have to resort to questioning the others.” His unique performance chops and immense ability to evoke laughter aside, this veteran will also be remembered for his unyielding political stands.