‘If you want to be a driver, you should be Mammootty’s driver. Do not take any work. Just sit in the back seat. The old man will drive the car…’ This is one of the comments regarding Mammootty. The incident is true. His passion for cars and driving is well known. Now the footage of Mammootty driving 2,300 km in Australia is going viral. The journey was from Sydney to Canberra and from there to Melbourne and then to Tasmania. Mammootty was the full-time driver on this trip.
I have heard that Mammooka often gets angry when he sees other people breaking the law while driving. But perhaps because travelers in Australia are not like ours, Mammooka never once got angry. Instead, he hummed, was happy to see the rain, remembered his college days, and joked a lot. There are three of us. Mammooka’s soulmate Rajasekaran, Sulfat madam, and me.’ Robert, who heads Mammootty’s philanthropic activities, noted.
The note reads:
A quote from an earlier feature regarding Mammooka that sticks in my mind. The text in it, which was prepared by traveling with Mammooka, was: ‘Kalame…. Mammootty is the one driving the car calling me Pimpe…’ On this journey through the Australian road, I had the same Mammooka beside me and Kala behind him. Sydney to Canberra. From there to Melbourne and then on to Tasmania.
Mamooka was driving very calmly through the meadows and huge trees. It has been heard that Mammooka often gets angry when he sees others breaking the rules while driving. But perhaps because travelers in Australia are not like ours, Mammooka never once got angry. Instead, he hummed, was happy to see the rain, remembered his college days, and joked a lot. There are three of us. Mammooka’s best friend Rajasekharan, Sulphath madam and me.
Mammooka drove the two coasts of Tasmania, an island state bigger than Kerala. From Hobart to Launceston, from there via Swansea, Port Arthur and back to Hobart. Not tired, Mammooka drove the car enthusiastically with every kilometer. Mammooka drove around Tasmania in two days with Roshit’s brand new car with number plate ‘DON007’, the total distance driven by Mammooka on the first leg of his visit to Australia was 2,300 km!
Another miracle. Mammooka knew the traffic rules here better than me who has been driving in Australia for 10 years. In between we argued over some traffic law. Mammooka did not give up. Finally, sitting in the car, I called an experienced officer of the Tasmanian Department of Transport (Sunil Nair) to clear my doubts. Mammooka was right. Kiran James was in Sydney to introduce the locations, Madanan Chellappan in Melbourne for the Great Ocean Drive and Kiran Jaya Prakash for the Coastal Drive including Phillip Island. But Mammooka became a complete Australian resident by making them all spectators. So some good days, good moments, scenes that I struggled to believe that it was not a movie running in front of my eyes.. Thanks to God and time.. and to my beloved Mammooka who made me a companion..
