3 min readHyderabadApr 23, 2026 07:54 PM ISTMammootty and Mohanlal in Patriot.When director Mahesh Narayanan and his team were putting together the cast for Patriot, they hit a wall with one particular character. The film was conceived as a pan-India spy thriller, and the role in question felt like it needed someone with a certain weight, someone audiences across the country would recognise and take seriously. The initial instinct was to look north. Then Mammootty stepped in with a suggestion.“We first thought that since Patriot is a national-level film, we should cast a national-level actor,” Mammootty said, adding,”We looked at character actors up north. I said we don’t have to go too far when we have someone here. We can talk to him and see.” The someone he was hinting at was Mohanlal.What followed was a conversation that brought together two of Malayalam cinema’s biggest names on the same screen for the first time in nearly 17 years. Their last full-fledged collaboration was Twenty:20, which released in 2008.A character Mohanlal could not turn downWhat made Mohanlal say yes was not the reunion, or the billing, or the scale of the production. In Jio Hotstar’s Patriot Legends Hangout, he said it was the role itself.Also Read: Mohanlal-Mammootty’s Patriot asked to change villain’s name resembling politician’s son? Producer clarifiesMohanlal said, “To be part of a film like Patriot is a matter of great thrill and luck. Mammootty and I are coming together after a long time. It is not often that I get to act with so many actors. My character has a brilliant positioning. The beginning and culmination of his arc have been presented well. I am doing a character like this for the first time. I was not used just as an actor; they used me as a performer. It was a character I couldn’t say no to.”Mammootty described the character as more than a supporting presence. “The character he plays is very important. At one stage, his character becomes crucial for the film to move forward,” he said. Mammootty went on to add: “After watching the film, you will remember Mohanlal’s character, not Mohanlal.”Story continues below this adFor Mahesh Narayanan, Mohanlal’s casting came together in a way that was more accidental than planned. Mahesh and producer Anto Joseph had gone to meet producer Anthony Perumbavoor when Mohanlal happened to be present. It was Mohanlal himself who asked if Mahesh could narrate the script to him, and he agreed on the spot.Mammootty admitted Mohanlal’s response caught everyone off guard. “We spoke to Mohanlal, and he said, ‘OK, fine.’ I didn’t expect he would agree to do the film Patriot,” he said.Click here to follow Screen Digital on YouTube and stay updated with the latest from the world of cinema.© IE Online Media Services Pvt LtdTags:MammoottyMohanlalAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...