A lighthearted and quirky trend dubbed the ‘Handshake Curse’ is taking the Malayalam film industry by storm, keeping fans and netizens thoroughly entertained. The latest victim of this viral phenomenon is none other than Malayalam cinema’s veteran actor Mammootty, whose adorable encounter with a child has added to the ongoing banter.

In a recent video that has since gone viral, Mammootty can be seen extending his hand for a handshake with a small child during an interaction. In a playful twist, the child didn’t notice Mammootty’s gesture and innocently moved on to greet someone else. The moment was quickly resolved, as the child eventually shook hands with the actor. However, the video, humorously labeled as ‘The Basil-Tovino Curse,’ has only fueled the hilarity surrounding this trend.

The ‘Handshake Curse’ originated from a now-famous moment involving actor-director Basil Joseph. During an award ceremony for the Super League Kerala Football Tournament, Basil experienced an awkward mishap when he extended his hand to shake hands with a football player. The player, however, unintentionally skipped Basil and greeted Prithviraj Sukumaran instead. Basil’s embarrassed yet comical reaction sparked a flood of memes and laughter online, creating the now-infamous ‘curse.’

The trend didn’t stop there. Tovino Thomas soon became a part of this viral trend during the pooja ceremony of his movie 'Marana Mass'. In a light-hearted incident, a priest offering aarti inadvertently missed Tovino’s outstretched hand. Basil, who was present, couldn’t help but laugh at Tovino’s predicament. Reflecting on the funny moment later, Tovino jokingly remarked, “After the Basil incident, I don’t shake hands with anyone.”

Adding another chapter to this ‘cursed’ saga was actress Grace Antony. During a recent event, Grace missed Suraj Venjaramoodu’s handshake, leading to a playful exchange. Grace borrowed a popular dialogue from Suraj’s film, teasing, “Idu angane onum allada” (this is not like that!), while Suraj quipped in response, “It’s not just me; Tovino was also there.”

With Mammootty’s recent addition to the list, the ‘Handshake Curse’ has now turned into a running joke, creating amusing content and becoming a trending topic across social media platforms.