Some victories are seen with the eyes, but Jaseela’s is one that truly fills the heart. Defying all odds and turning her personal challenge into an inspiration for differently-abled UPSC aspirants, visually impaired 30-year-old Jaseela Jannath P from Vadakara, Calicut, has secured the 397th rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
This marks Jaseela’s fourth attempt at the exam. Her optional subject, Sociology, reflects her deep passion for social issues, honed through her M.A. in Social Work with a Women-Centred Practice specialisation from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. Prior to focusing on her UPSC preparation, Jaseela worked as a Project Associate at Prajaahita Foundation in Kozhikode from July 2021 to March 2022, contributing to community development initiatives.
Jaseela credits much of her success to the one-year UPSC preparation journey covering Prelims, Mains, and interview guidance at Xylem IAS, where she joined the civil services batch in March 2025. Speaking about her learning approach, Jaseela relied on audio-based learning methods, voice-to-text tools, and peer-led discussions to navigate and master the vast syllabus.
“Blindness tested me, but it never defined me. With the right support, including personalised mentorship, innovative tech-aided learning modules, and a supportive community, I was able to crack it,” she said. Looking ahead, Jaseela aspires to serve and empower people facing challenges similar to her own.
Apart from her academic pursuits, she has also established herself as an eloquent public speaker and secured A grades in Mimicry, Vanchippattu (boat song), Folk Song, and Malayalam Recitation at school youth festivals.
Jaseela is the daughter of the late Kunhabdulla P and homemaker Sainaba.
Including Jaseela, a total of 29 students from Xylem IAS have secured ranks in the examination.
source: http://www.businessnewsthisweek.com / Business News This Week / Home> Education / by Neel Achary / March 06th, 2026
Angadipuram Village (Perinthalmann Taluk, Malappuram District), KERALA :
Fathima Shehza K has topped the ICAI CA Intermediate January 2026 exam the result of which has been declared on Sunday March 08, 2026.
CA Inter Topper January 2026:
Fathima Shehza K has topped the ICAI CA Intermediate January 2026 exam the result of which has been declared on Sunday March 08, 2026.
As per the results announced by Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Fathima Shehza K secured the All India Rank 2 (AIR 2) in the Chartered Accountancy (CA) Intermediate examination held in January 2026.
Fathima Shehza scored a percentage of 84 per cent with a score of 504 out of the total 600 marks. Fathima Shehza missed the Top Rank by just 4 marks which went to Kanhiya Lal.
Kanhiya Lal bagged 508 out of the total 600 marks and secured the All India Rank 1 (AIR 1) in CA Inter January 2026 exam.
Fathima Shehza is a resident of Perintalmann, Kerala whereas Kanhiya Lal hails from Ellenabad, Haryana.
Faridabad’s Vanya Bansal has secured the 3rd rank with 83 per cent and 498 marks.
Who is Fathima Shehza?
The CA Inter January 2026 Topper, Fathima Shehza is a resident of Angadipuram – a small village of Perintalmann Talka in the Muslim dominated Malappuram district of Kerala.
Fathima had earlier also topped the ICAI CA Foundation exam in January 2025. She had scored 356 marks in CA Foundation exam held for January 2025 session, and had emerged All Kerala Topper.
Talking to media after topping the CA Foundation Exam last year, Fathima had said her target was even higher. “Topping Kerala state is not my target. My dream is to secure the top rank at all India level”, she had said last year.
She is a student of Profinz College – also called Profinz Perinthalmanna, a prominent Commerce (CA, CMA, ACCA, CS) coaching institute in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram district.
After clearing CA Foundation and Intermediate exams, Fathima is is now eligible to start her articleship (practical training) while preparing for CA Final.
ICAI CA Intermediate Result January 2026
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) declared the CA Inter Jan 2026 result on Sunday March 8, 2026.
A total of 1,05,526 candidates had appeared in the CA Inter Jan 2026 Group 1 exams. Out of them, 14,733 candidates cleared the exam, registering a pass percentage of 13.96. CA Inter Group II exam saw a pass percentage of 15.54, with 10,798 candidates clearing the exam out of 69,477 who appeared.
ICAI conducts these exams twice a year, in January and July.
The CA Intermediate January 2026 examinations were conducted in multiple shifts across centres in India and abroad. As per the official schedule, Group I exams were held on January 6, 8 and 10, while Group II exams were conducted on January 15, 17 and 19, 2026.
Candidates who appeared for the exam can check their results on the official websites at icai.nic.in and icai.org.
source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> Education & Career / by ummid.com news network / March 09th, 2026
Shama Mohammad, AICC spokesperson and now over a decade in politics, knows all too well the obstacles women face in Indian politics. The numbers speak for themselves: despite the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill, no Muslim woman from Congress was given a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024, and only two serve as MLAs nationally.
“The biggest obstacles for a woman to progress or survive in politics, especially in Kerala, are men,” she says bluntly. “When I started my journey in Kerala district politics, men in the party felt I can’t make it. And when I started making it, they didn’t like it.”
Shama lists three roadblocks on her way: “First, I am not a dynast, second, I am a woman, and third, I’m a Muslim.”
Unlike Congress, Muslim women like Sofia Firdous in Odisha or Kaneez Fatima in Karnataka, both backed by political families, Shama has no dynastic support. “You won’t find a single Muslim woman in politics who is fighting her way ahead on her own,” she says.
While a party like the Trinamul Congress has actively promoted women — with three out of its five MPs in West Bengal being women — Congress continues to lag,” she adds. (Trinamul Congress has the highest representation of women in Lok Sabha at 38 per cent compared to 13 per cent women by Congress and BJP.)
Her journey into politics didn’t happen overnight. A dentist and then a reporter with ZEE News, Shama grew up in Kuwait, watching debates on BBC, Al Jazeera and other channels with her father, who was passionate about world affairs. “The interest I have today is inherent, as politics is ingrained in my family,” she says.
Known today as a feisty and articulate spokesperson, she developed her political voice over years of actively taking an interest in national and international news, watching and then taking part in media debates, and later, hands-on work in Kerala district politics.
Her media career eventually brought her closer to politics. “I remember watching Manish Sharma, Abhishek Manu Singhvi — my colleagues in AICC now — fighting it out in a war of words on TV evening after evening,” she recalls.
While her job at ZEE News didn’t give her much chance to cover politics, her colleagues recognised her passion, and one of them sent her to meet Randeep Surjewala in the Congress media department. She was soon working for the party, travelling between Pune, where her husband and children were, and Delhi for television debates. “There was no Zoom or Skype then; one had to be physically present for the debates,” she says.
Amidst her work in the media department, she also decided to start working at the district level for the party in her home state of Kerala. But that came with its own challenges. “All this took a huge toll on my children,” she admits. Her elder son was just 14, and her younger was 11 at the time. “But work meant leaving them even as my husband was away in Abu Dhabi again.” Balancing family and political ambitions was a struggle, yet she persisted.
Despite the hurdles, Shama’s commitment to change pushed her on. “I came to politics because I saw rapists, extortionists, and other anti-social elements in Parliament, and we only complain without doing anything about it. So, I wanted to be part of the change,” she says. As a Muslim, she has faced criticism for her faith and assumptions about her patriotism. But this has only made her more resilient: “Because I’m a Muslim, I have to go to Pakistan, I’m a jihadi, I’m anti-national… and I have to take all this,” she adds.
While her progress within the party remains limited due to patriarchy, Shama has turned her energy to grassroots work in Kannur, Kerala, through her Zoya Charitable Trust. “Why I came to politics was to help people, and my trust is in doing precisely that,” she says.
The trust, started in 2018, initially focused on renovating schools, especially following the floods of 2019. It has recently launched a sports school in the district, best known for athlete PT Usha, and another sports school is coming up with funding from the Panchsheel Group, a real estate group. Beyond sports, the trust works on healthcare, education, and women’s empowerment.
Asked what she would like to change about Congress, Shama doesn’t hold back: “Give more tickets to women. Give capable and hardworking women representation as the TMC does.” She knows change is slow, but remains undeterred. “Kerala has 51 per cent women, and if I’m sidelined, I take it as a challenge,” she says. For Shama, being a Muslim and a woman in politics is not just a struggle; it’s a motivation for her to keep pushing, both within her party and through her work at the grassroots.
With Kerala heading once again into election mode, the left-led coalition and the Congress-led coalition will be pitted against each other. Whether her words and vision for women’s representation in politics will become reality remains to be seen, but Shama Mohammad continues her journey, determined to make a difference.
#WATCH | Delhi | On 'Jai Hind Yatra' in all Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) units today, Congress leader Shama Mohamed says, "We are standing with the army. We are with the country and supporting whatever the government and the army decide. We are showing our support for the… pic.twitter.com/t83hjLe2PG
The record for writing the maximum number of words in 5 minutes using Arabic calligraphy was set by Nourin Noufal P.N. (born on August 31, 2004) of Ernakulam, Kerala.
She neatly wrote 15 words on different sheets of paper in 5 minutes with a marker pen, using Arabic calligraphy, at the age of 18 years, 10 months and 11 days, as confirmed on July 11, 2023.
source: http://www.indiabookofrecords.in / India Book of Records / Home> Human Story / by IBR Team / August 18th, 2023
That Sunday afternoon still lingers in Mohammed Shamil’s mind: the loud cries for help and the rush to save lives. Without hesitation, he dived into a murky village pond and brought three girls back to life from the brink.
One of them needed CPR, and he gave her the breath of life with the little knowledge he learned from school. Now, Shamil is hailed as a hero and showered with felicitations, trophies and mementoes – more than three dozen in less than two weeks.
Schools and clubs invite him to share his story, inspiring others to act in moments of crisis. For the Class 12 boy, it is about saving lives and not seeking praise.
Mohammed Shamil (right) and his younger brother Mohammed Shehin being felicitated with currency garlands at their school. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
On July 13, around 2 p.m., Shamil’s peaceful afternoon at his Puthanveedu home at Mankada near Manjeri was disrupted. His mother Shahida had just received a distressing alert from ASHA worker Hafsath Palliyalthodi that three girls were drowning in a nearby pond.
Shahida’s frantic cry propelled Shamil into action. He sprinted 200 meters to the pond and plunged into the muddy waters, where two girls were desperately struggling to stay afloat while the third had already slipped underwater.
Muslim Youth League national secretary Najma Thabsheera felicitating Mohammed Shamil. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
With careful precision, Shamil rescued the two girls. He was mindful of not putting himself in danger. “When one girl raised her hand, I did not grab it,” he said. “Instead, I caught her dress from behind and pulled her to safety.”
Just as Shamil thought it was over, the rescued girls broke down in tears, revealing that one more person was still submerged underwater. “That moment sent shivers down my spine,” Shamil recalled. “Initially, I was unsure what to do, but I took a few deep breaths and dived multiple times in a desperate attempt to rescue the last one.”
Fire and Rescue Services officers felicitating Mohammed Shamil. | Photo Credit: SAKEER HUSSAIN
The pond was over two meters deep, with murky water, making it difficult to locate the missing girl. As more people arrived, Shamil dove in three times before finally pulling out the 12-year-old girl with the help of his younger brother, Mohammed Shehin, who is a class 8 student.
She was not breathing, and her face was pale. Shamil used his school biology knowledge to do chest compressions. When she showed signs of life, he gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Within minutes, she started breathing again. The girl was then rushed to the hospital.
Shamil’s parents, Shahina and Ashraf, beamed with pride as they looked at the table filled with trophies and mementoes. The recognition came from all corners – the Fire and Rescue Services, local clubs, the MLA, the district, block, and grama panchayats.
Shamil, once just a student, has become a symbol of hope and bravery for the people of Mankada. “I just did what needed to be done,” he humbly said.
source: htttp://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Kerala / by Abdul Latheef Naha / July 25th, 2025
A video by American author Aija Mayrock has drawn global attention to a small embroidery shop in Jew Town, Mattancherry. The store stands as one of the last working links to the once thriving Cochin Jewish community of Kerala.
The shop belonged to Sarah Cohen, born in 1925. She was among the last Jews who lived permanently in Jew Town. Her store sold hand embroidery and souvenirs and became a known landmark in the area. After large scale emigration in the mid twentieth century, many Jewish homes and businesses shut down. This shop stayed open.
Thaha Ibrahim, a Muslim man, now runs the store. As a child, he sold goods on the street near Cohen’s shop. She later hired him and taught him embroidery and shop management. He assisted her for decades, handling customers, production, and daily operations.
Before her death in 2019, Cohen asked Ibrahim to continue the shop and preserve its character. He agreed. Today, the store functions under the same name and layout. It closes on Saturdays in respect of the Jewish Sabbath. Candles are lit on Friday evenings. Cohen’s photographs and belongings remain displayed inside.
Ibrahim has stated he remains Muslim. He sees his role as protecting the legacy entrusted to him.
Historians note that Jews lived in Kerala for over two thousand years. Although the community declined sharply after 1948, synagogues and heritage sites in Kochi still reflect that history. This small embroidery shop now stands as a living record of shared trust and continuity.
source: http://www.radiancenews.com / Radiance News / Home> Latest News> Report / by Radiance News Bureau / February 21st, 2026
In 2023, India issued more than 13 million passports, using about 468 metric tons of paper. Globally, about 100 million passports are issued each year, requiring about 3,600 metric tons of paper—the equivalent of cutting down about 86,400 trees.
At this scale, using recycled paper passports could save thousands of trees each year and greatly reduce environmental damage. These statistics were compiled by six-year-old environmentalist Roohi Mohazzab of Kerala.
In a handwritten letter to world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the heads of 195 countries, Roohi has asked the leaders to replace traditional passport paper with recycled paper to save trees and protect Mother Earth.
Roohi Mohazzab also set a remarkable global milestone by delivering the keynote address during the Global Conference on Education for a Sustainable Future (GCE 2026) at the United Nations Asia-Pacific Headquarters in Bangkok.
A Historic Moment for India Roohi Mohazzab’s invitation to a UNESCO-led global platform is not merely a personal milestone—it is a historic moment for India. It reaffirms that age is no barrier to leadership, courage, or impact.#RoohiMohazzab#Roohi#ClimateCompassionpic.twitter.com/GN4AcWhFIQ
Roohi Mohazzab has taken on a challenge that many adults might never even consider – to revolutionise the way passports are made.
Their idea is not only profound but also practical—a step that could make India the first country in the world to issue passports made from recycled paper, setting an inspiring example for global sustainability.
Roohi Mohazzab, a first-standard student of Common Ground International Academy, Kozhikode, was formally invited as a keynote speaker and SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Impact Award winner.
The event was organised by the UNESCO Youth Education Research Centre and the Sustainable Development Council, which has special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC.The conference was held at the United Nations Conference Centre, Bangkok, on 11-12 February 2026.
At the conference, the young environmental activist spoke about the devastating impacts of paper use on forests and climate change.
He stressed that a common item like a passport, which is issued in millions every year, can become a symbol of sustainability rather than being harmful to the environment.
In a symbolic moment on the UN platform, Roohi officially launched her global initiative, “The Children’s Movement for Climate Action.” The foundation aims to foster environmental responsibility and civic awareness among children so that young minds can become active participants in climate policy and sustainability solutions.
Roohi was recognised as one of the world’s youngest environmental voices and is known for her impactful local initiatives.
Other initiatives launched on the occasion:
The Country Tree Project – Launched on World Environment Day 2025, aims to plant 10 million trees through one million school micro-nurseries.
Tree Bank Nursery Project – Inaugurated by Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, which aims to create a green educational environment in 10,000 schools.
Recycled Paper Passports Campaign – At the age of five, Roohi wrote a letter to Narendra Modi and 195 world leaders, recommending eco-friendly passports to save trees.
The conference sent out a message that Children are not just the future – they are the present custodians of Mother Earth.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by ATV / posted by Aasha Khosa / February 18th, 2026
Pilgrims on way to Ayyappa shrine in Sabrimala at Vavar mosque, Erumeli, Kerala
I had waited to go to Sabarimala, a hilltop shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district, for a long time. Lord Ayyappa, the deity of truth and righteousness, is described as the son of Shiva and Mohini (the female avatar of Vishnu). He was said to have been adopted by the local king of Pandalam.
Ungorgettable Experiences
As a youngman, Ayyappa abdicated the crown and renounced the palace to vanish into the forests of Sabarimala to live a celibate and ascetic life. It’s in deference to Ayyapa’s celibacy that women are not allowed there till they turn 55.
After a 41-day mandatory fast, I joined my sister and her husband for the pilgrimage. The pilgrims wear black clothes and carry a bundle containing a couple of coconuts filled with ghee and other offerings for the deity.
We carried the bundle on our heads at the start of the four-kilometre uphill trek. We were not supposed to remove it before reaching the shrine.
At the crack of dawn, after breaking coconuts at the local shrine to ward off all obstacles, we left for the shrine.I was thrilled at the thought of visiting some of my favourite temples and shrines on the route, some of which I had only heard of but never visited.
Lord Ayyapa temple at Sabrimala
Holding our heavy bundles (kettu) on our heads, we stopped at Chottanikakara, Vaikom, and Ettumanoor shrines.
Soon we were at Erumeli. According to legend, Ayyappa defeated the demoness Mahishi (sister of Mahishasura) here. The name Erumeli is comes from Eruma-kolli—“the place where the buffalo-demon was slain.”
At Erumeli, the road streamed with pilgrims, mostly men and children, all clad in black. They had bright colours smeared on their faces, held colourful feather arrows, and danced to drum beats as part of a ceremonial dance called Petta thullal to mark the victory of the warrior Ayyappa over enemies and bandits.
We too swayed lightly, trying to shake off our inhibition-clad egos.
Holding arrows, wild leaves, and smeared in bright colours, we walked towards a temple there dedicated to a deity called Shastha. Shastha is an ancient protective warrior deity worshipped in Kerala even before the incarnation of Ayyappa. Ayyappa is considered a modern avatar of Sastha and is now almost synonymous with Sastha.
Vavar Juma Mosque, Erumeli
As we walked towards the temple, I was surprised. Were we at the threshold of a temple or a mosque? I saw taps for the ritual cleansing ceremony (wuzu) and a handful of Muslims saying namaz through the glass windows. It was a mosque.
We lined up respectfully outside the mosque. It was Vavar Palli (Vavar mosque), my brother-in-law explained.
Vavar was a close associate of Ayyappa. Their friendship is celebrated in folklore and devotional movies. Vavar was a Muslim, and thus the story gets significant.
“Vavar Swami may have worshipped at the mosque. That is why he is associated with the mosque,” Nasruddin Musaliyar, who traces his lineage from Vavar, explained to me when I spoke to him a few days later.
I felt pure joy at seeing Hindus offering respect outside a mosque and making offerings before worshipping the Shastha temple. After breaking a coconut at the Shastha temple, we began our long trek towards the Ayyappa shrine on Sabarimala.
It took us four or five hours, followed by a long five-hour wait in the crowd. Anyway, we had darshan in the morning. When we came out of the temple, another surprise awaited.
The shrine dedicated to Vavar Swamy
I found myself standing outside a small shrine just outside the Ayyappa temple. It was like a dargah, but I was told that it was called Vavarpadi, or the threshold of Vavar, a memorial to Ayyappa’s friend.
Pilgrims stopped to offer prayers and accept prasad of sugar candy and pepper. The man giving the prasadam said he was a descendant of Vavar and managed his tomb. He gave me his father’s number and asked me to speak to him for details about the shrine.
Nasruddin Musaliyar said that Vavar was part of a group of Arab settlers who were close to Lord Ayyappa.”This shows that the highest authority at that time accepted Vavar despite his different faith or origin,” Musaliyar said.
“Vavar Swami’s tomb and a mosque at Erumeli, where Vavar is said to have prayed, just cry out loud to us today that two faiths can co-exist and respect each other. All religions believe that there is one God. And that almighty wants to tell us that Hindus, Christians, and Muslims can co-exist in harmony,” he added.
Emotions well up as Mursliyar says that neither Ayyappa nor Vavar had asked anyone to build shrines and pray to them. These shrines represent the principle that they did not see any difference between man and man.
Author (left) with her sister and brother-in-law on the way to Sabrimala
Shrines and differences are man-made. “The Muslims don’t worship at Vavars shrine as they believe only in Allah,” he said.
There is no evidence that Vavar was buried there, though the royal records claim so. This shrine is symbolic, he says.
Ayyappa is believed to have renounced the throne, family, and palace to live as an ascetic in Sabarimala’s forests and merged with Sastha. He loved and honoured Vavar, expecting his devotees to do the same. In these times of religious tensions, such traditions continue thanks to a deity who rejected differences of caste and religion and loved everyone as human beings.
After darshan at Sabarimala, pilgrims feel lightheaded as they have all offered their heavy burdens at the shrine.
Perhaps they have removed something else also besides the kettu —the thought of differences itself.
They go as Hindus to worship a Hindu god but return feeling more than just a Hindu…a more complete human being, who embraces all differences.
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Sreelatha Menon / December 29th, 2025
Mohammed HarisT,. Chairman and Owner of alHind Air
New Delhi :
From a small ticketing office in Calicut, Kerala to entering India’s aviation space, T. Mohammed Haris is taking on one of the most competitive markets as his Al Hind Air is all set to enter the Indian aviation sector, building a full-scale airline empire.
AlHindAir and FlyExpress are set to take to the skies, after receiving their No Objection Certificates from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Al Hind Air is being promoted by Kerala-based Alhind Group, which was established three decades ago in Calicut. The promoter of Al Hind Air is Mohammed Haris T.
Mohammed Haris is the promoter of Alhind Group of Companies. His experience in the travel and tourism industry is extensive. Haris also holds the position of founder General Secretary of the Indian Hajj Umrah Association. Born in Calicut, he completed his education with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts (BA History and Economics) and a degree in Pharmacology.
AlHind Air
Alhind Group offers a wide array of travel-related services, making it a one-stop shop for all travel needs. Its global footprint has expanded significantly over the years. With offices and partners in several countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bangladesh and Kuwait, the company has managed to serve a diverse clientele from different parts of the world.
Part of the Alhind Group of Companies, Alhindair is preparing to make its debut in the aviation industry as a regional commuter airline, with operations scheduled to commence later this year. “The airline will begin its journey with a fleet of ATR 72- 600 model aircraft, initially focusing on providing efficient and reliable domestic air travel,” it said.
Alhind Group was established in 1990 and has emerged as a prominent leader in the travel and tour management industry in Asia.
Over the years, the group has built a strong reputation and has a presence in diverse fields such as transportation, software, Umrah travel, mobile application development, education, etc.
T.Mohammad Haris (Left) and others at an public function
Alhind’s global footprint has expanded significantly over the years. With offices and partners in several countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bangladesh and Kuwait, the company has managed to serve a diverse clientele from different parts of the world.
This global presence ensures that Alhind is well-equipped to cater to the needs of international travellers, whether for leisure or business purposes. In a rapidly evolving industry, Alhind has shown its adaptability by embracing technology and innovation.
Its website claims that “In a rapidly evolving industry, Alhind has shown its adaptability by embracing technology and innovation. Alhind has invested in user-friendly websites and mobile apps, allowing customers to book their travel services conveniently. Additionally, they have integrated various online booking tools and platforms to ensure a seamless booking process. This forward-thinking approach has enabled Alhind to stay competitive and relevant in the digital age.”
source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Aasha Khosa / December 28th, 2025
Fondly called ‘Mammukka’ by his fans and those close to him, the 74-year-old actor described the award as ‘unexpected’.
Malayalam superstar Mammootty, who was conferred the Padma Bhushan on Sunday, said he was “very happy” and that there was “nothing greater than the country honouring one”.
Fondly called ‘Mammukka’ by his fans and those close to him, the 74-year-old actor described the award as “unexpected” while speaking to a TV channel.
Wishes poured in on social media as news spread about the honour, which was conferred on Mammootty for his contributions to the field of art. “My friend Mammootty has now become Padma Bhushan Mammootty. Congratulations to my friend,” actor-politician Kamal Haasan wrote on X.
“Congratulations, Mammukka! And thank you for showing us how boundaries are broken, and challenges are taken up with a smile! You’re our pride and one of a kind,” actress Manju Warrier wrote in a Facebook post.
Later, at the Kerala State Film Awards ceremony, Mammootty was congratulated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Culture Minister Saji Cherian. In his address at the event, Vijayan said Mammootty had been honoured by the country with the Padma Bhushan.
“The Kerala cabinet is happy it could take part in this joyous development, as we have been recommending him for the award for the past several years. Everything has its time. Heartfelt congratulations to him. No one in the history of Indian cinema has performed such diverse characters as he has,” the Chief Minister said.
Mammootty has acted in over 400 films across languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi and English, in a career spanning more than five decades.
He is a recipient of three National Awards, several state awards, and two honorary doctorates, apart from Padma Shri.
Mammootty made his film debut in 1971 with Anubhavangal Paalichakal. His most recent big-screen outing was Kalamkaval.
source: http://www.telegraphindia.com / The Telegraph Online / Home / by The Telegraph, Entertainment Web Desk / January 26th, 2026
