As Mohanlal celebrates the record-breaking box office success of Drishyam 3 — which opened to a staggering Rs 43.37 crore worldwide on May 21 — critics and fans have taken a moment to look beyond Georgekutty. In a reflective piece published on the day of the film’s release, The Indian Express posed a compelling question: Was 2005 the last year Mohanlal truly ‘Mohanlalled’?
The Year of Lalism
While 2026 is dominated by the frenzy around the third chapter of the thriller franchise, 2005 stands out as a landmark year in the actor’s career — a period fans and critics often call the peak of “Lalism.” It was a year where he delivered five back-to-back performances that reminded audiences why he is considered a master of the craft.
Among the 2005 releases were the satirical hit Udayananu Tharam, the family drama Naran, and the film that would eventually win him the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor: Blessy’s heart-wrenching drama, Thanmathra .
The Defining Performance of Ramesan
While Drishyam showcased Mohanlal’s ability to carry a gripping thriller, Thanmathra proved his unparalleled prowess in portraying emotional decay. In the film, he plays Ramesan Nair, a middle-class government employee slowly ravaged by early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
Unlike typical melodramatic portrayals, Mohanlal found the character’s essence in “the most mundane moments” . Critics noted that he didn’t wait for dramatic set pieces; instead, he immortalized the tragedy of Ramesan in small, devastating details.
The nuances of a collapsing mind:
- Forgetting dinner: Ramesan forgets he has already eaten and asks for food again, showing confusion rather than hunger.
- Zoning out: A moment of intimacy with his wife is interrupted by his wandering attention — he spots a lizard and follows it, signaling detachment.
- Silent suffering: Unable to articulate his racing, fragmented thoughts, he bites his own hand in frustration. “From the articulate Ramesan at the start to the non-verbal Ramesan in the end, he magnificently immortalises the journey of the man” .
Beyond the Awards
The Kerala State Award was the coronation of a year where Mohanlal was unstoppable. He moved seamlessly from the energetic satire of Udayananu Tharam (where he played a struggling, forgotten scriptwriter) to the tragic realism of Thanmathra. This ability to slam-dunk “every time” across genres is what solidified his legacy.
Legacy in 2026
As fans flock to theaters to see Georgekutty once again manipulate timelines and hide secrets, the reverence for Mohanlal remains rooted in characters like Ramesan. In an era dominated by franchise films and box office projections, the performance of a fading man in a small-town household still stands as the benchmark of “Lalism.”
Drishyam 3 may be breaking records, but it is built on the foundation of a career defined by such raw, undeniable talent.
