Mammootty shares first reaction after Padma Bhushan honour: ‘Santosham, athi santhosham..’

Actor Mammootty expressed his joy after learning that he has been conferred the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours to Mathrubhumi News.

“Santosham, athi santhosham…(Happy, very happy) there is nothing bigger than the honour from the country,” Mammootty said, describing the recognition as a deeply gratifying moment in his career.

The announcement came while the actor was in Thiruvananthapuram to receive a film award, making the news an unexpected and memorable highlight of his visit.

Fondly called 'Mammukka' by his fans and those close to him, the 74-year-old actor described the award as "unexpected" while speaking to a TV channel here.

Wishes began pouring in on social media as news spread about the award, which was conferred on the superstar for his contributions to the field of art.

"Congratulations, Mammukka! And thank you for showing us how boundaries are broken, and challenges are taken up with a smile! You're our pride and one of a kind," actor Manju Warrier wrote in a Facebook post.

Actor Kamal Haasan, in a post on 'X', also congratulated Mammootty on receiving the honour.

"My friend Mammootty has now become Padma Bhushan Mammootty. Congratulations to my friend," he said.

The Padma Awards - among the highest civilian awards in the country - are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri.

Mammootty has acted in over 400 films in various languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English, besides Malayalam, in a career spanning more than five decades.

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Three National Awards, seven State Awards, 14 Filmfare Awards, the Padma Shri, and two honorary doctorate degrees stand as proof of his acting excellence and mass fan following.

Some of his popular movies include 'New Delhi', 'Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha', 'Oru CBI Diary Kurippu', 'Kutty Srank' and 'Bheeshma Parvam'.

He has worked with critically acclaimed directors including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, K G George, and T V Chandran, as well as hit-makers like I V Sasi, Joshi, Ranjith, and Anwar Rasheed.

His debut was the 1971 movie 'Anubhavangal Paalichakal'.

(With PTI inputs)