Mahesh Narayanan Addresses Criticism Over Mohanlal’s Cameo In Patriot

Patriot,

starring Mammootty, Mohanlal, and Fahadh Faasil, opened in cinemas on May 1 amid much fanfare. Despite opening to big numbers at the box office, the film received mixed reviews. While several praised the sleek action scenes and screen presence of the powerful actors, many began criticising Mohanlal's limited screen time in the action drama. Now, the film's director Mahesh Narayanan has responded to the backlash. He went on to say the actors in the film believed in the script, and everything about the story was briefed to them. He also spoke about what may have irked fans.

Mahesh Narayanan Responds to Criticism Over Mohanlal’s Cameo in Patriot

Talking to Media One Show Mail, he was asked about how he views the backlash Mohanlal's appearance has received after the film's release. He said it is different when a film uses their acting potential properly. He added that they have no problem listening to the story of the film, acting in it, and watching the film afterwards.

Speaking to The Hindu, he shared a similar statement, saying Mohanlal found the role challenging and was hardly bothered about what happened to the character at the end. He believes it was the twist that irked many of his fans. He added that Lal sir loved the role as he had not done something like this before. He also said it was a meaty role with its moments, unlike a run-of-the-mill cameo role where the actor ends up doing tricks to please fans.Mahesh Narayanan, who co-edited the film, added that they are not actors who always want to do slow-motion sequences and that they knew he was not using their aura. Even when there is action, it is rooted in the character.

About Patriot

Patriot opened this past Friday with Rs 10 crore from 2,636 shows, marking its highest single-day collection at the India box office. According to Sacnilk, its total domestic earnings over five days now stand at Rs 24.85 crore. The film is expected to cross the Rs 25 crore mark domestically on Wednesday (day 6). While this is a figure for a Malayalam film not positioned as a pan-India release, it still falls short of expectations from a project featuring Mammootty and Mohanlal. The film was produced by Anto Joseph and KG Anil Kumar. The film also stars Kunchacko Boban, Nayanthara, Revathi, Darshana Rajendran, and Rajiv Menon, with music composed by Sushin Shyam.