'He studied at Maharaja's under fake name, found joy in that lie...until a classmate found out truth'

Just the title “Megastar of Malayalam cinema” is enough for anyone to recognise that it refers to Mammootty. The actor continues to astonish fans with his youthful looks that defy age. Born as Panaparambil Ismail Muhammed Kutty, also known as P.I. Muhammed Kutty, Mammootty adopted his now-famous name during his college years. He has mentioned this at various events in the past.

However, there's another fascinating story behind Mammootty’s name—one that director Santhivila Dinesh has now brought to light. According to Dinesh, while studying at Maharaja’s College, Mammootty used to introduce himself with a different name to his classmates. One day, a classmate discovered the truth, and only then did he start using the name “Mammootty.”

In Santhivila Dinesh’s words:

“If you ask any of Mammootty’s college mates whether they remember someone named Omar Sharif, they’ll probably laugh—and then tell you privately that it was actually Mammootty's name. For a while at Maharaja’s College, people used to call him Omar or Sharif. Inspired by the legendary Egyptian actor Omar Sharif, Mammootty decided he would be Kerala’s Omar Sharif. He took great joy in that identity.

He even hid his real name given by his family and used ‘Omar Sharif’ instead. It made him genuinely happy. But one day, quite by accident, the truth came out. The college ID card fell out of the book he was holding and dropped to the ground. A mischievous classmate, Sasidharan, picked it up and, upon seeing the name on the card, shouted, ‘Hey… liar! Your name is Mammootty, isn’t it? Are you going around with a fake name?’ Sasidharan then confronted him, asking why he lied. The credit for being the first person in India to call him “Mammootty” goes to Sasidharan. That tongue must’ve been made of gold.

From then on, Mammootty became the leader of a mischievous group at Maharaja’s. That name—Mammootty—went on to become one that the world would call with respect and admiration. Even at the age of 74, his fame continues to soar. Because when someone says ‘Mammootty’, no further explanation is needed.”