Mamta Mohandas’ optimism and enthusiasm are contagious. On the last day of her shoot for Udaharanam Sujatha in Thiruvananthapuram, I meet her before she returns to the US. It was selfie time for her with the cast and crew of the film. “There was just three days of shoot, but I had a good time. I love people...Actually my love for life comes from my love for people,” says Mamta when she finally sits down for a chat in her caravan.
She has plenty of reasons to be in love with her life. Her career is on an upswing and she has been shuttling between Los Angeles (LA), her home for the last three years, and India several times a month for work.
Her packed itinerary in India includes movies, a reality show on the small screen (“because her mother loves the show”) and other commitments, whereas in LA, life moves at her own pace. She is obviously enjoying living in the two time zones.
“Back in LA, I am in no hurry. I go on long drives, especially to meet my friends. I work out or listen to music. These days I am listening to Italian musician Ludovico Einaudi. Or, I cook — I make Italian or grill fish or chicken... make salads. Once in a while I make some rice and curry...!” Mamta breaks into a hearty laugh, probably thinking about the good times that she has had.
The survivor
The only appointment that she has to keep is with her doctor. Without any prodding, she candidly says, “Yes, I am still under treatment.” As one wonders where she draws the strength to narrate her battle with cancer over and over again, she smiles, saying, “I tell it like a story!”
Mamta was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and had gone through multiple relapses before she decided to subject herself to a clinical trial in the United States.
“I decided to do it because I had no other option and now I tell my doctor that I am the best guinea pig they can get. The decision was taken when I was shooting for Varsham (2014). I don’t know how I managed to complete the seven-day shoot. The pain was so severe when I woke up in the morning that there were days when I used to pray that I don’t wake up at all!” says Mamta, her eyes welling up.
She chose to go for the trial, living on her own in LA. “I didn’t let my parents go with me. So except for the arrangements for my treatment, I had to do everything else from scratch... like finding an accommodation, my transportation, running a home....”
A new life
Mamta Mohandas
The treatment and her stay in the US became a new chapter of her life. “The treatment is the toughest part for any cancer patient. The pain, weakness, loss of hair.... But I did not have to experience any of those (laughs). In five to six months, I was better and hopeful,” she says.
Nevertheless, Mamta says, she wasn’t feeling happy. There was something amiss,” she recalls. That’s when actor Dileep got in touch with her to act in Two Countries . “I had something to look forward to. That’s when I really started living in LA,” she smiles.
Now that her career is back on track, Mamta says she is ready to do any kind of role that she feels she can enact. “The team I am working with is also extremely important. In Thoppil Joppan , I had a minuscule role, but I enjoyed being a part of it. In Udaharanam Sujatha , I play a District Collector, who is an inspiration for the character played by Manju chechi [Manju Warrier]. The role came to me because the makers thought I would fit into that role. Same is the case with my next movie Goodalochana , written by Dhyan Sreenivasan and directed by Thomas Sebastian. I play an entrepreneur and art enthusiast whose path crosses with four youngsters who want to start a business venture,” she says.
She feels that Malayalam cinema is going through a phase where heroines are getting the space they deserve.
“Women have started speaking their mind and that is getting reflected in our films as well. I strongly believe that cinema is a reflection of society,” she says.
The conversation naturally veers to the newly-formed Women in Cinema Collective in Mollywood. “It is unique and I am happy that there is a forum where women can voice their views and concerns. I will strongly support the venture till the day it becomes a ‘feminist-only’ platform. For me humanity is important,” she asserts.
And in the frame of mind that she is now, she only wants to stay positive and look ahead.
“Life is only getting better and better. However, I’m cautious about my personal life. I am not yet ready for a relationship. That calls for vulnerability and I don’t want to put myself in that spot now. Otherwise I am in control of my life!”
On her co-actors
Dileep: We are really comfortable with each other as artistes and friends. We are good at playing opposites on screen. And he never tries to overpower me or dominate me in any scene.
Manju Warrier: Although we had never interacted much before, when we met on the sets of Udaharanam Sujatha we immediately hit it off. It was like two seasoned performers coming together. We have shot some really nice scenes. She is amazing as an actress and I can go on and on about her performances.
Prithviraj: We share a great equation. People say that we look good together on screen and that we sound similar in our views!
Up next
Mamta reunites with Prithviraj in Nirmal Sahadev’s trilingual movie, Detroit Crossing . Also, she is acting opposite Fahadh Faasil for the first time in Carbon , directed by cinematographer Venu.
