As India commemorates its 76th Republic Day, this is an ideal occasion to revisit Mammootty’s Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, which not only shed light on the social reformer’s life but also exposed the atrocities committed against the Bahujans by caste Hindus over the years.
It is doubtful whether there are many other actors in India at the moment who can boast a repertoire as diverse as Mamooty. Among the many impressive roles he has portrayed over the years, the one that stands out as the tallest is Dr Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar in director Jabbar Patel’s Dr BabasahebAmbedkar (2000), a performance that earned the Malayalam thespian his third National Film Award for Best Actor. As India commemorates its 76th Republic Day, marking the day the country’s Constitution came into effect, this is an ideal occasion to revisit Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, an English-Hindi bilingual feature, which not only shed light on the social reformer’s life but also exposed the atrocities committed against the Bahujans by caste Hindus, along with the persistent realities of everyday casteism.
In the opening paragraph of his legendary undelivered speech Annihilation of Caste, later published as a book, Babasaheb observes, “I have criticised the Hindus. I have questioned the authority of the Mahatma whom they revere. They hate me. To them, I am a snake in their garden.” Notice how sharply and specifically he portrays himself through these words. Here, Dr Ambedkar not only affirms his ideological stances and unwavering principles but also acknowledges the hostility they invited from the opposite side. One of the most remarkable aspects of Mammoty ’s performance in the Jabbar Patel directorial is the emotional layering he has ensured without adhering to a singular perfected template that could have rendered the character monotonous.