'I wish every Mammootty of India had a friend like Mohanlal'

Lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar was awed by the bonhomie shared by Malayalam superstars Mammootty and Mohanlal.

“I wish every Mammootty of India had a friend like Mohan Lal and every Mohan Lal had a friend like Mammootty. It is obvious that their great friendship is beyond the understanding of some Small, narrow-minded, petty and negative people, but who cares?” said Javed on social media platform X.

Mohanlal recently conducted a special ritual for Mammootty in the Sabarimala temple. The news garnered huge popularity on social media. However, the noble deed didn't bode well with some religious scholars and journalists.

Prominent journalist and political observer O Abdulla courted controversy with his unpopular take on the incident.

"If Mohanlal made the offering without Mammootty's knowledge, there is nothing wrong with it. Because Mohanlal's faith in the Sabarimala temple must be that great. But if it was done on Mammootty's orders, then it is a great crime. Because, according to Islamic belief, no offering should be made to anyone other than Allah. This is a violation," Abdullah said, quoting verses from the Quran. Later, many others seconded this opinion.