'Asked me to conduct special rituals, it was Chottanikkara Amma's blessings'; Prominent actor about Mammootty's comeback

It was in 2003 that actor Aniyappan made his debut in mainstream movies through Mammootty’s Chronic Bachelor. After a slew of movies, Aniyappan stopped accepting roles and faded out of the industry. After a two-decade-long hiatus, Aniyappan is back again on the big screen with prominent roles in his kitty. He has now opened up about his return to the cinema.

Aniyappan

“When I got a job at the Devaswom Board, I thought I would take a break from films for a while. At the end of the day, I could work closer with the gods. My work was assigned at the Chottanikkara Bhagavathy temple. At that time, I completed the movie Rasikan and saw many offers coming my way. Sidhu Panakkal, the production controller, had requested me to act in one movie and even briefed me on the role one month in advance.

I got the job through my affiliation with a party, and I was in no position to give it away. The tight schedule of my work started to affect my shooting, and it even gave stress to the production controller. It was then that I decided to take a break. It took almost two decades for me to come back to movies through ‘Anand Sreebala’. I also played a good role in Sumathi Valavu. The comedy scene between me and Harisree Ashokan from Chronic Bachelor is still a favourite among audiences.

Recently, I went to Mammootty’s shooting location, and he spotted me immediately. He is a great human being who keenly follows the work of other artists, even those working in serials and television programs. He summoned me and talked for a few minutes. My biggest shock was that he recognised me instantly.

Last year, on his birthday, producer Anto Joseph called me and paid me a huge amount on Gpay, asking me to conduct a full day's offerings at the temple in Mammootty's name. When the chief priest came out of the sanctum after performing the rituals, he told me that everything was done perfectly. The result is here. Mammootty is back again in movies with the blessings of Chottanikkara Amma.”