Despite the lockout caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Keralaites all over India and across the world celebrated on Thursday the 60th birthday of Mohan Lal, Malayalam cinema’s evergreen hero. 

This is the first time Malayalam film industry and the cultural field came  together to  celebrate the birthday of an actor. Besides his friends in film industry, Kathakali artists and poets joined hands and wished birthday greetings, health and prosperity in years to come to Lal, popularly described as Natana Vismayam (the acting wonder) of South India.

“It is my great fortune to live in this era and get enthralled by an artist like Mohan Lal. While watching his movies, I’ve never felt Lal was acting. He is known for living the characters given to him with elan by the director,” said Kalamandalam Gopi, the octogenarian Kathakali maestro, who taught the dance form to Lal for his role in Vanaprastham.   

Gopi said he cannot believe that Lal turned 60. “We are confident that he would give us more and more immortal characters in years to come,” said Gopi while wishing the actor who has been honoured with Padma Bhushan in 2019 and has won many national and international awards for some of the roles essayed by him during his four-decades long acting life.

Janam TV, a popular Malayalam news channel, sprang a surprise on the actor’s birthday by making him anchoring the Sanskrit bulletin. Lal is well versed in Sanskrit which  he perfected for acting in a Sanskrit play and a short film.

“I don’t have words to describe Mohan Lal,” said Suresh Kumar, producer of some of the all time hits in Malayalam, in which Lal played the lead roles. Suresh and Lal studied in the same class in school as well as college. ‘We began our film journey together. What makes Lal different from others is his cool demeanour and concern for humanity. He is simple, humble and doesn’t seek any publicity for himself. His compassion for others makes him an artist with a difference,” Suresh Kumar told The Pioneer.

Suresh Kumar said Lal, Priyadarshan (movie maker)  and himself who are of same age are 60 years young. “When I told him that we were 60, what Lal corrected me and said that we were just 16,” said Suresh with that innocent laugh.    

Five national awards, nine Kerala State Film Awards and numerous other accolades speak volumes about South India’s one and only complete and perfect artist, singer, writer and above all a human being, said  PEB Menon, chartered accountant and close associate of the actor in his humanitarian activities.