A galaxy of stars on the pitch: When Mohanlal and Mammootty scored against Vijayan’s XI

It began with an unexpected move from the midfield—Maniyanpilla Raju to Kalabhavan Mani, then a slick pass to Biju Menon, and finally the ball reached the golden boots of Mohanlal. Just the goalkeeper, Mehboob, and the net stood between Lalettan and a dream moment. A feint with his left, fooling the keeper, followed by a crisp right-footer into the corner of the net—GOAL! The crowd roared as Mehboob’s diving fingertips brushed the ball, but in vain. The Superstars' team led by a goal.

Call it a lucky break if you like, but a goal is a goal. The question, though, lingered: if Mohanlal scored, how long could Mammootty merely spectate? As the second half wore on, the Megastar took charge. Receiving a pass from Kalabhavan Mani, Mammootty sidestepped a defender and slotted the ball home. GOAL! The stars were now level.

Final Score: Super Stars XI 4 – IM Vijayan XI 3

Incredible, isn’t it? Yet every word is true. Will there ever be another occasion where the titans of Malayalam cinema, from the giants to the journeymen, gather on a football field? To be part of such a match alongside I.M. Vijayan from its conception to its final whistle was a rare and unforgettable privilege.

A Galaxy of Stars on the Pitch

Held at the Thrissur Municipal Corporation Stadium a quarter-century ago, the event saw Malayalam’s film fraternity donning boots and jerseys like never before. Mohanlal wore the legendary No.10 jersey for the Stars XI; Xavier Pious donned the same for Vijayan’s team.

Among the glittering lineup: Mukesh, Sreenivasan, Innocent, Mamukkoya, Jagadeesh, Siddique, Baiju, Lal, Harisree Ashokan, Sudheesh, Sreeraman, Augustine, Idavela Babu, Thampi Kannanthanam, Kunchan, Cochin Haneefa, Sadiq, Vijay Yesudas, and Dinesh Nair. Coaching the team was Shaji Kailas with Ranjith as team manager. On the opposing side, Vijayan’s eleven included greats like Pappachan, Xavier Pious, Kurikesh Mathew, Sharaf Ali, Martin C Mathew, Suresh Babu, Dr. Basheer, Thomas and goalkeeper Mehboob.

It All Started with a Phone Call

I was in Thrissur covering the Santosh Trophy when Vijayan, visiting my hotel room, shared a dream: to set up a football academy. He spoke earnestly—“It’s not just my dream; many of us wish to guide the next generation post-retirement.” Funding was the obstacle. His plan? Organise a celebrity exhibition match to raise funds.

It sounded ambitious. Gathering Malayalam cinema's biggest stars for a physically demanding game like football was a tall order. They might tolerate a game of cricket, but football? Sweating, sprinting, the real risk of injury? It was almost unthinkable.

Vijayan had already begun reaching out but hadn’t received encouraging responses. Disheartened, he recounted long waits and fruitless attempts to meet actors on shooting locations.

“You must never underestimate your worth, Vijaya,” I told him. “You’re not just a local figure—you captained the national team. You don’t need to wait on anyone.”

He smiled, as he always did, and said, “They need to understand that too, Raviyetta.”

Enter Ranjith – The Game-Changer

I called Ranjith—then one of the most bankable screenwriters in Malayalam cinema, riding high on the success of Narasimham and preparing for Valyettan. I explained the idea. Silence followed. Then came his firm reply: “Let’s do it. This is for Vijayan.”

And then the thunderbolt: “Why not get Mohanlal and Mammootty to play?”

We thought it was a joke. Ranjith wasn’t joking. “Let’s call Lal first. If he agrees, Mammootty will definitely follow. And once they’re in, everyone else will follow.”

The Dream Becomes Reality

Astonishingly, Mohanlal agreed. So did Mammootty. One after another, the film fraternity joined. What was to be a modest benefit match turned into a grand football carnival. With able organisation by Vijayan’s friend Rajesh Nair, it became a spectacle to remember.

Even singer Jayachandran, hearing of the event, came forward. “Aren’t we Thrissurians too?” he asked with a smile. He performed during halftime, singing “Prayam nammil moham nalki...”, evoking thunderous applause.

The Match and Its Legacy

The match took place under floodlights on 27 April 2000—just days after Kerala lost narrowly to Maharashtra in the Santosh Trophy final. Mohanlal opened the scoring in the second half, followed by a goal from Bheeman Raghu. V.P. Shaji responded for Vijayan’s team, but Mammootty soon restored the Superstars’ lead. Goals from Vijayan and Sharaf Ali levelled the score at 3-3, but Raghu’s last-minute strike sealed a 4–3 victory.

The result was secondary. “The real win was having Mammootty and Mohanlal play for me,” Vijayan would later say. “It was a moment that will never return.”

Some of the stars who graced the pitch are no longer with us—Kalabhavan Mani, Innocent, Cochin Haneefa, Mamukkoya, Augustine, Thampi Kannanthanam... even the voice that mesmerised the crowd that evening, Jayachandran, is now a memory. But their presence, their spirit, echoes still—in song, in cheer, in that one night when cinema and football danced together.

As I recall that magical evening, I wonder: how did this all really happen?

But it did. And it was unforgettable.

—A football memory by Ravi Menon