Mohanlal’s maternal uncle Gopinathan Nair, who named the star, passes away at 93

Mohanlal maternal uncle dies at 93

The renowned actor Mohanlal's maternal uncle, Gopinathan Nair, who gave him his name, died on June 9 at the age of 93.

After living at Mata Amritanandamayi's ashram in Amritapuri for the previous 14 years, he passed away there. Gopinathan Nair was well known for his ties to the spiritual community, and it was he who brought the renowned actor and the spiritual leader together. Mohanlal has treasured their relationship ever since.

According to Onmanorama, Mohanlal was initially to be named Roshan Lal, but it was his uncle who suggested “Mohanlal,” a name that the family warmly embraced.

Interestingly, he also named Mohanlal’s elder brother, Pyarelal, who sadly passed away in 2000 due to heart complications.

On May 21, 1960, Mohanlal was born in Elanthoor, a village in Kerala's current Pathanamthitta district (formerly part of Kollam district). He is the younger son of Santhakumari and Viswanathan Nair, a former law secretary for the Kerala government.

The actor grew up in his father's ancestral home in Mudavanmugal, Thiruvananthapuram. Notably, in order to prevent caste identification, his father purposefully decided not to give him the family surname.

Before retiring and leading a more spiritual life, Gopinathan Nair had a distinguished career as the general manager of the Alappuzha District Cooperative Bank. Actor and Member of Parliament Suresh Gopi was among the many dignitaries who attended his funeral, which took place at the ashram.

Regarding his career, Mohanlal is still involved in the motion picture business. Chotta Mumbai, his 2007 action comedy, was recently re-released in theatres and was well received. Thudarum, his most recent hit, is currently available for streaming on a number of OTT services.

With more than 400 films to his name and a career spanning more than 40 years, Mohanlal is considered one of the most versatile actors in Indian cinema. In 2001, he received the Padma Shri, and in 2019, he received the Padma Bhushan.

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He was given the honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army in 2009, making him the first Indian actor to receive this distinction.

Thiranottam (1978), which was 25 years behind schedule, marked his acting debut at the age of 18. He made his breakthrough in the role of antagonist in Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), which marked the beginning of his remarkable career.