Mohanlal's mother, Santhakumari, avoided watching some of his superhit films due to her inability to bear seeing him suffer on screen. She found tragic dramas like 'Kireedam,' 'Chenkol,' and 'Thalavattam' too painful, having stopped watching 'Kireedam' midway and never seen 'Chenkol' or 'Thalavattam.' She preferred his lighter roles, enjoying films such as 'Kilukkam,' though she left 'Chithram' before its end. Santhakumari passed away at 90, and Mohanlal shared his Dadasaheb Phalke Award with her.