Dhanush thought OM co-star Mammootty was ‘rude’ when he first met him 13 years ago, understood his sense of humour much later

At the pre-release event for their upcoming film OM, Dhanush spoke about Mammootty and their long association. Here's what he said.

While many believe that Rajkumar Periasamy’s upcoming Tamil film OM is the first time Mammootty and Dhanush will be seen on-screen together, they couldn’t be more wrong. The duo once worked together on a Malayalam film 13 years ago. Recalling the experience at their upcoming film’s pre-release event, Dhanush revealed that he once believed the Malayalam superstar was ‘rude’. It took him a while to understand his sense of humour.

Dhanush says it took time for him to understand what a sweet person Mammootty is.

Dhanush once thought Mammootty was ‘rude’

At the pre-release event of OM, Dhanush made Mammootty chuckle when he said, “Mammootty sir means thug life; thug life means Mammootty sir.” Explaining why he said that, he added that the actor is not one to give a straight answer. “He will never give normal answers. I once asked him, how are you doing, sir? He replied, how do you think I am? When I said he must be good, he replied, in that case, I must be,” said Dhanush.

The actor recalled playing a cameo in the 2013 Malayalam film Proprietors: Kammath & Kammath and coming away with a different opinion on Mammootty than one he holds today. “I watched a few interviews of his to understand him better. I was very curious,” he said, adding, “Our brief interactions there made me think he was quite rude. I didn't get an opportunity to work with him after that.”

However, working with Mammootty more than a decade later was a different experience for Dhanush, who said, “Three days after meeting him, I realised that he is such a sweet, humble, grounded and giving person. His sense of humour is unbelievable.”

About Rajkumar Periasamy’s OM

OM: Operation Mole is a spy thriller written and directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, known for Rangoon (2017) and Amaran (2024). It is produced by Wunderbar Films and RTake Studios. The film stars Dhanush, Mammootty, Sai Pallavi, Sreeleela, Naseeruddin Shah and Indrans. Sai Abhyankkar composed the film’s music.

OM tells the story of Palanivel, aka Agent D-402, played by Dhanush, who infiltrates the red sanders smuggling ring of Burma Karthikeyan, aka Siya, played by Mammootty. However, circumstances soon begin testing his loyalty. Sreeleela plays Palanivel’s wife, Roja, in the film, while Sai Pallavi plays ASP Nithya Reddy. The trailer hints that Palanivel is turning against his mission for a reason, and Nithya is hot on his heels for justice.

OM was supposed to be released on October 16 but was postponed to avoid a clash with Dhanush’s former father-in-law Rajinikanth’s Jailer 2. The film also avoided a clash with Suriya’s Scene for Diwali.