Meet actor who got 2 out of 100 rated in audition, was rejected multiple times, now a superstar, did over 400 films, gives hits every year, he is...

India.com

07-07-2025

Popularly known as the superstar of South, the actor releases two to five films are every year and 3 of them are sure to be included in the list of hits. But there was a time when his charm did not reach the fans and a director gave him a rating of only 2 out of 100. This actor has huge fanbase in South India
However, luck changed and the same director gave this superstar his first National Award. What happened was that this actor would not have entered films if a member of the audition panel had given him bad marks, he would probably never have got his first role in Manjil Virinja Pookkal. Who is the superstar we are talking about?
Still couldn't guess which actor we are talking about? The actor in question is none other than Mohanlal. In one of the panelists at an audition during the beginning of Mohanlal's career – who was an aspiring filmmaker and was working as the associate director of Manjil Virinja Pookkal, gave Mohanlal only two marks out of 100.
Surprisingly, it was through a film directed by the same person that Mohanlal later won his first National Film Award. That panelist was none other than Sibi Malayil, a veteran director who gave Malayalam cinema many memorable films, many of which had Mohanlal in the lead. Mohanlal recalls his first audition
Recently, the superstar and director went down memory lane and recalled the first audition when Sibi gave Mohanlal the lowest marks. 'Sibi was part of the panel during my first audition. Later I found out that he gave me the lowest marks, just two out of 100. But later those two marks became a turning point for me. I won two National Awards through his films,' Mohanlal said during an event organised to mark the 40th anniversary of Sibi's first directorial venture Mutharammukunnu PO. When did Mohanlal make his debut?
It is worth mentioning that Mohanlal made his debut in 1978 with Thiranottam. He played a comedy role in the film. However, he gained popularity in the role of a villain in the 1980 film Manjil Virinja Pookkal. Talking about films with Sibi Malayil, they have worked together in Mudra, Kirdam, His Highness Abdullah and Doore Doore Oru Kooda Kottam.