I took this photo on Varkala beach cliff, in Kerala, when I was living there a couple of years ago. The sign points to a hairdressing salon on the cliff, which is predominantly a tourist destination.
So, tourists, if you’re not feeling manly enough and need a makeover, this is the place to go! With the addition of a bushy but well groomed moustache and luscious black hair, you’ll be looking modern and very manly!
Like
Related Posts:
- The Infamous Indian Moustache Under Threat
- Funny Photo – National Integration Party Tissues
- Funny Photo – Why Are These Indians Lining Up?
- What’s That On Your Skin?
- India Photo: The Fancy Store
- India Photo: You Know It’s Hot in Kerala When….
- Funny India Video: Twinkle Twinkle Desi Style
- Now I Have Head Lice
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
“ That is not always true 
...
{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
How very Metro he looks. sexy
Mammooty …. great actor
So this guy is really considered to be a sex symbol worth drooling over down south?!
sex symbol
noooooo!!! … he is a legend!! All those over the top bollywood actors need to learn from this dude. …. him and Mohan Lal.
My imagination is running wild with alarming visuals of him appearing from behind a tree in a field, and dancing enthusiastically while wearing a mundu. (That’s what they seem to do in the clips I’ve seen from south Indian movies)!
Malayalam cinema was in a totally different league. They dealt with existing social issues. Not anymore though
.
Yeah….Don’t know him but he does look like a ‘filim’ star. This picture sums up what I feel is a major difference between Hindi films and South Indian films. The actors have a very different kind of look. Tamil films are a totally different experience
Shareeeeeelllllll, you know I have a weak heart!
Be still my heart!!! It pitter patters so! If I close my eyes and squeeze them tight, I can almost feel that mustache tickling my nose.
Please say that pointy white shoes are included!
And the setting of the photo is perfect. A beach. Now wouldnt you want that man -… in little pointy white shoes and flipping a short mundu next to you on Varkala, rather than a european man in humongo Birkenstocks and very little speedos
Think about it… when this fella sings to you on a beach, a dozen identically and colorfully dressed village belles will suddenly appear and dance energetically and in unison, in time to your musically beating hearts. Such a thing could never happen with the speedo wearing European man. At most he could rustle up a swiss milk maid and perhaps her cow with a bell! On the other hand the swiss milkmaid might bring along some swiss chocolate! Hmmmmm… bears thinking about now.
Is that Mamooty? Really?
Look at the thick head of hair, Imagine running your fingers through that and then moving you’re hands down to his woven rug like back. purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Isn’t it funny thou, that in the south the movie heart throb is always a middle aged mo wearing, short tubby man and his damsel in distress is always a young perky 18 year old sexy kitten!
*tch tch tch* the dude is getting pummeled *face palm*
Mammooty is da mmmmman!
Hey Sharell,
So you can read what is written on the board..!! So can a Mallu.
But All mallus will read another two languages(Malyalam their mother tounge and Hindi the National Language-( Okay, may not be all But I’m sure 90% of them can)
So you wear trousers and shirts? So does almost all Mallu’s.
But we still can wear can wear mundu’s and sarees too….
Who said brown/blonde are glamorous- refer wikipedia you’ll know the history of blonde- and that history is not that glamorous-I would say…
Yes I am a mallu-a proud mallu. We accept all the cultures. Adopts them if found ‘useful’. But We NEVER EVER make fun of other cultures.
So, Tell me who is modern?
Hmmm, your experience is very different to mine. I’ve spent a lot of time in Kerala (and even lived in Varkala for 8 months). I haven’t seen too many men there wearing trousers, or come across many who are willing and able to speak Hindi. In fact, my husband felt very out of place there, because many people didn’t want to speak to him in Hindi.
Of course, I’ve come across some lovely people from Kerala (you may even be one of them). On the whole, though I wouldn’t say that people from Kerala are accepting of other cultures. I’ve found it to be quite the opposite (no offense intended).
I found the sign particularly amusing because it was advertising a hairdressing salon in a tourist area (Varkala). For a tourist, it doesn’t reflect what we see as modern.
Perhaps the Malayalees don’t speak Hindi not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t. For those who can, I can understand why they wouldn’t want to speak Hindi. There is a whole lot of politics behind it.
Ah, complicated. I’m fast learning that there’s often more too it than meets the eye in India!
Malayalees dont have any anti-Hindi sentiments as many people from north seem to think. Nonetheless not many speak Hindi. It actually depends on the demograhy you are talking to. On the whole not many people in Keala dont speak the language. But most educated, white-collar job people can undertand that language, but may not be able to speak. The younger and more travelled people will speak Hindi 99% time.
As of Mammootty – who is in the picture – he has a very special place in Kerala. Lets say he is the Tom Hanks equivalent of Malayalam cinema. Not a sexy, dashing film star – but a cultured actor who has won a lot of accolades for acting. And just like Tom Hanks acting in Da Vinci Code, he does what is required for commerical success too – which is sometimes dancing in “mundu” beside paddy fields
Ah, it’s good to hear that there’s a meaningful story (that’s more than merry mundu dancing) behind the legendary Mammootty. It seems like he’s worthy of such prominent placement on the advertisement.
But for a foreigner who has no idea who he it, it is quite amusing. I wouldn’t exactly choose Tom Hanks to feature on the advert either! 
I think this is very cultural thing for Mallu. I have heard of actors being worshiped in south. One may see similar local actors/stars on ads/holdings but this is rare in other pasts of India, specially in Gujarat (my native province which is also not a great tourist place ).
I have seen many movies ( regional movies they are called) from different provinces of India. Even time I watch them, I too find them a bit funny, mainly because of the cultural differences with in India (far north also have striking differences in looks and behavior from far south).
@ cyberkarma
I agree with you.
THE REAL KING MAMMOOTTY*********
North indians think they are superior people. But, apart from
few cities in North, majority of d people are iliterate pan-chewing ignorant , ugly, untidy people who dont brush nor bath for months. Proof-go to any village or town in North.
in contrast to this go to any village in kerala, people give great importance 4 hygiene and cleanliness, they bath and brush twice a day. Use only washed clothes etc.
@ Nirmal, “…they bath and brush twice a day. Use only washed clothes etc…”
You don’t know the secret of northie Lallu, it’s simple. Taking bath, brushing (brushing what?), and washing clothes twice a day is just terrible. Just imagine the amount of water Keralites are wasting too-Y-ce a day, aiyoyo! On the other hand, northies are much concerned about the water-crisis in India, and they are already preparing in headvance, U…C!
Hi sharell
though i dont take any offence on your depiction i think you should understand that the actor whom you have depicted here is a great talented actor who have won a number of national awards .Though north indian people think south indian films are funny it is not so.There are no of good flms made down south (i watch hindi films too) so we know the north indian culture but north indians dont know our culture .It creates such a divide. i a keralite working in it industry and have seen many north indians complaining.The first and formost they say is hindi is our national language.I speak in hindi and before meeting them i didnt understand the dangers of language dominance that the tamil politicians used to tell us.
I wouldnt ask every north indian living in south india to learn the local language but atleast respect it .Ifwe are living with then we cant see our cinema we have to see only hindi.Our actors and actresses are uncle and aunty for them.We are substandard people and our food is bad.The girls think south indian girls are traditional .But i would like to add that south indian gorls enjoy much more freedom than their north indian sisters aprt from dressing matters and aprt from sexual matters we are broad minded in other matters .We dont treat daughter inl laws like dirt.India has come to a time where this language issue needs to be addressed lest south indians and north indians gets frustrated .
If north indians want to see malayalam actors -They can see it in 2 films mammootty in ambedkar,mohanlal in kalapani and company
South indians need change but north indians are not perfect
Most keralites have a headweight that they are the most neat people in the world.For type of climate in kerala where you sweat it is required to bath 2 times but it is not necessary everywhere.Bathing is a pure cultural issue related to climate and water availability.Being a keralite my self i would say In matters other than this regarding neatness(like keeping things in place)kerala people are just average in cleanliness.
Hi anonymous, I know, I was an ignorant tourist when I took that photo. Fortunately, I’ve now been enlightened as to what a talented fellow he is!
But I still don’t think he looks modern. 
Hi sharell,
True you find that caption odd:). But actually its just the name of the saloon basically and the man who owns must be a fan of this actor:).He can even shave one’s moustache off if they wants.:)
Anyway kerala is the only few places where men can have moustache without being branded as old- fashioned
..
i love your articles sharell.You have a real talent. In malayalam i would say kidilam
Thanks so much, and I really appreciate you not taking offense to my sometimes “culturally insensitive” observations!
Oh my, here he is along side his companion Mohanlal. But he’s aged a bit!
http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2010/07/mammootty-and-mohanlal-malayalam-cinem/
well yes sharel …you are right ….youngsters should have taken a centrestage by now …but there is not talent in malayalam industry left ..industry is slowly dying ……
and you see veterans like amirkhan in bollywood are also ageing but it takes more time for people to forget them and accept others
the diff is wen mallu heroes age they pick up lots of weight and more mustache:)
By remembering them we remember our yester golden days when we had such good films and sigh.when we used to see bollywood with contempt ….what waste films !!!
but of course now they are much better with new talents coming in and atleast a couple of gud films released everyyear …..
one gud thing about bollywod is they are more sympathetic and respectful to women(exceot those karvachoud scenes) than in malayalam or any south indian film industry