Mohanlal's Sabarimala Puja For Mammootty Sparks Controversy

Thiruvananthapuram: Malayalam Superstar Mohanlal has run into a controversy for performing a puja (offering) in the name of his contemporary Mammooty – another Superstar – at the hill shrine of Sabarimala recently.

The receipt of the offering appeared on social media and almost immediately a few Muslim preachers came to the fore stating that Mammootty's faith does not permit worshipping any other God, but Allah.

A few others came to his defence stating that Mammooty had not offered any pooja and so he should not be blamed.

In the Sabarimala receipt, Mammootty’s original birth name, Muhammed Kutty, was mentioned and his birth star ‘Visakham’.

Several reports also claim Mammootty has shifted to Chennai and is currently being treated for cancer, however, his team have dismissed the reports.

Following the controversy, Mohanlal alleged that someone from the Devaswom Board must have leaked the receipt.

However, in response, the Travancore Devaswom Board pointed out that the portion of the receipt which was issued to the devotees (Mohanlal) was leaked on the Internet. The TDB also said that its office will only have the counterfoil.

Questioning the controversy, Mohanlal said that Mammootty is like his elder brother. “What’s wrong in praying for him? He is doing well. He had a minor health issue, but that’s normal for everyone. There is nothing to worry about." He referred to the matter as ‘deeply personal’.

Mohanlal visited Sabarimala on March 18 ahead of the release of his multi-crore movie L2: Empuraan directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, a Malayalam star himself. The movie, which has already created a hype, is set to be released tomorrow.