How Mammootty and Mohanlal helped shape Meghanathan’s career in Malayalam cinema

Meghanathan, known for scaring audiences with his portrayal of ruthless villains in countless movies, showcased his acting prowess by perfectly portraying the character Rajendran in 'Action Hero Biju'. His performance as a loving husband and father who disapproves of his wife working as a maid was spot on. The character marked a turning point in Meghanathan’s career. Following this, he vowed never to approach acting lazily and decided to accept even small roles if they offered depth and meaning.

“I wasn’t hopeful about the character as it didn’t have much screen time. But I received lots of love and appreciation after the movie got released,” Meghanathan said about his role in 'Action Hero Biju'.

He later met actor-filmmaker Johny Antony at the wedding reception of Vijayaraghavan’s son. Johny, who had enjoyed Meghanathan’s performance in 'Action Hero Biju', shook his hand and promised to cast him in his next project. True to his word, Johny offered Meghanathan the role of Lasar, an alcoholic, in the Mammootty starrer 'Thoppil Joppan'. Meghanathan was ready to experiment, expressing that he was open to exploring different characters if filmmakers were willing to cast him.

Meghanathan’s journey in Malayalam cinema began 30 years ago with a role alongside Mammootty. Another Mammootty starrer, 'Oru Maravathoor Kanavu', became a significant turning point in his career. On the sets of this movie, Mammootty promised to include Meghanathan in his next film, and true to his word, Meghanathan was cast in 'The Godman', directed by K. Madhu.

While working on 'The Godman', Meghanathan was also cast in 'Thachiledathu Chundan' by Shajoon Karyal upon Mammootty’s recommendation. However, there was a challenge: Meghanathan needed a clean-shaven look for 'The Godman' and a moustache and beard for 'Thachiledathu Chundan'. By the time Meghanathan joined the latter’s sets, several scenes featuring his character alongside Mammootty had already been shot using a body double. His portions were later reshot separately.

Meghanathan acknowledged that he enjoyed such privileges because of Mammootty’s unwavering support. In 'Thoppil Joppan', Meghanathan played a small but pivotal role as an alcoholic who ultimately gives up drinking.
Following 'Thoppil Joppan', Meghanathan received a call from director Jibu Jacob, who offered him a role in 'Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol', starring Mohanlal in the lead role. That same year, he shared screen space with Mohanlal in '1971: Beyond Borders'.