Mammootty criticised over tilak at National Awards:Users ask, ‘Why wear a tilak as a Muslim?’; Harisree Yousuf calls them ‘frogs in a well’

National Award-winning actor Mammootty received a traditional welcome with a tilak during the National Award ceremony in Gujarat. The actor has faced criticism on social media after a tilak was applied to his forehead, with some users questioning the gesture because he is Muslim. Some even described it as disrespectful to Islam and against its teachings. Malayalam actor and filmmaker Harisree Yousuf has responded to the criticism by sharing a video on Instagram. He said that applying a tilak is a traditional Indian way of welcoming guests. He also said that religion should help people become better human beings rather than create divisions and conflict among them. ‘Applying a tilak to the forehead is an insult to Islam’ Mammootty recently won the National Film Award for the film ‘Bramayugam’. During his visit to Gujarat, he was welcomed with a tilak applied to his forehead. After a video of this emerged, some users on X and Instagram began criticising Mammootty. Several people, including a user named Abbas, wrote that applying a tilak to the forehead while being Muslim was against Islam and had insulted the religion. However, several fans defended Mammootty, describing it as merely a cultural welcome. ‘Those who troll are frogs in a well’ Malayalam actor Harishree Yusuf released a video sharply hitting back at those criticising the statements being made on social media. Calling the trolls “frogs in a well”, Yusuf said, “We artists are not narrow-minded; we have a broad outlook.” When you go to a grand hotel or an event, guests are welcomed with a bouquet and a tilak on their forehead. This is not the promotion of any religion, but a tradition of Indian hospitality. He said, “The true purpose of religion is not to make people fight among themselves, but to make them better human beings. Coming on to social media, using abusive language against someone and then dragging religion into it is completely wrong.” Mammootty Has Won the National Award Four Times Mammootty is a veteran actor in Malayalam cinema. In 2026, he was honoured with the National Film Award for Best Actor for his outstanding performance in the film ‘Bramayugam’, sharing the award with Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan. That year, the Government of India also conferred the Padma Bhushan on him for his contribution to the field of art. Mammootty has won the National Award four times so far. He was recently seen in the film ‘Patriot’ and will soon appear alongside Dhanush in the Tamil film ‘Om – Chapter 1: Udhiram’. Shah Rukh-Salman have also faced criticism Several Muslim actors in Bollywood have faced intense trolling on social media for applying a tilak on their foreheads or taking part in religious rituals during festivals and religious events. The most prominent example is Shah Rukh Khan, who has repeatedly been targeted for sharing photographs of himself wearing a tilak during Diwali and Ganesh Chaturthi. In 2018 and 2019, several users commented that he was acting against Islam after he posted photographs of himself wearing a tilak with his younger son, AbRam. Similarly, Salman Khan has also been trolled for wearing a tilak on his forehead during Ganesh worship and family religious ceremonies. Sara Ali and Aamir Khan have also faced trolling Saif Ali Khan and his daughter Sara Ali Khan have also faced such criticism. Whenever Sara Ali Khan shares pictures of herself wearing a tilak and sandalwood paste on her forehead during visits to Kedarnath, the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain or the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, some trolls have questioned her for wearing a tilak despite being Muslim. Actor Aamir Khan was also targeted on religious grounds on social media after performing kalash puja and applying a tilak to his forehead at his film’s office puja ceremony and housewarming ceremony.