Daijiworld Media Network - Kochi

Kochi, Feb 18: Malayalam megastar Mammootty has finally opened up about the health scare that kept him away from the public eye for months in 2025, revealing that he temporarily lost his sense of smell and taste during the difficult period.

Early last year, rumours about the veteran actor’s health began circulating widely on social media, with unverified claims suggesting that he was battling a serious illness. Though his team promptly dismissed the reports, speculation intensified after the actor maintained a low public profile for several months. The situation drew further attention when fellow superstar Mohanlal offered special prayers for him at the Sabarimala Temple.

In August, close associates and family members confirmed that the actor had recovered, though the exact nature of the illness was not disclosed. Now, speaking at the 16th anniversary celebrations of the Care & Share International Foundation, a charitable organisation founded by him, Mammootty shared details of the physical challenges he endured.

Addressing the gathering, the actor said that both his olfactory and gustatory senses were severely affected during the illness. “Eyesight and hearing are vital aspects of human life. Even while breathing, some people are unable to smell anything. I was unable to smell or taste anything for a long time. We realise the value of such abilities only when we lose them,” he said.
Though he has since recovered, the actor noted that his senses are gradually returning to normal.

During his speech, Mammootty also recounted an emotional incident involving a hearing aid he once gifted to a person in need. He said the individual, unfamiliar with experiencing sound clearly, felt overwhelmed after wearing the device for a brief period and eventually discarded it. “Sound was something he had never experienced before. It frightened him, and he never used the device again,” the actor recalled.

One of the most celebrated figures in Malayalam cinema, Mammootty has acted in over 400 films across a career spanning five decades. He was recently seen in director Jithin K Jose’s Kalamkaval and made a cameo appearance in Adhvaith Nayar’s Chatha Pacha. He is next set to appear in filmmaker Mahesh Narayanan’s Patriot, which will mark his on-screen reunion with Mohanlal after 18 years.