Mohanlal’s co-star, late National-Award-winning Malayalam actor, explained how he became a ‘billionaire’ farmer: ‘If you look at financial accounts…’

It is not easy to be proud of your side hustle, especially when it has proven to be anything other than a money-spinner, if you are a star. Many stars have startups and open farming businesses as alternative income sources aside from acting. While some of these endeavours flourish, many don’t. Late Malayalam star Salim Kumar proudly defended his passion for farming, saying that it made him feel like a billionaire, even though his venture didn’t turn out to be profitable.

The Mollywood veteran, who had acted alongside heavyweights such as Mammotty and Mohanlal in hits such as Kilichundan Mampazham and Pattalam, often spoke about his passion for farming. In a chat with Manorama Online, the National Award-winning actor admitted boldly that farming cannot make anyone mega rich. However, the satisfaction you can feel witnessing something grow from seedling to a towering plant is unparalleled.

“No one can become a Tata, Birla, or Ambani through farming. However, in terms of satisfaction, farming makes us billionaires. Watching a seed sprout and grow into leaves, flowers, and fruit… the boundless joy of touching nature spreads through the heart like a canopy. Nothing else in the world can provide that,” he said.


He said his farms had many vegetables: “There were always enough vegetables in the backyard of our ancestral home for a curry — yams, taro, and ridged gourds. Shrimp and ridged gourd were the ‘national curry’ at our home. That interest eventually led me to farming.” However, his farming endeavours didn’t turn out to be profitable. That didn’t stop him from his passion.

“If you look at the financial accounts, farming is a loss. But the satisfaction it provides cannot be matched by anything else,” he said.

After practising the centuries-old Pokkali farming tradition for many years, he became increasingly worried that the indigenous cultivation method was slowly disappearing. Concerned about preserving the practice, he went on to make a documentary highlighting its significance. In his fields, he followed the traditional six-month cycle, growing paddy during one half of the year and raising shrimp during the other six months.

Salim Kumar was an Indian actor, filmmaker and writer best known for his extensive work in Malayalam cinema. Over a career that lasted nearly three decades, he featured in more than 300 films and became one of the most celebrated and influential performers in the industry. His contributions to Malayalam cinema earned him widespread recognition, including the National Film Award for Best Actor in 2010 for his acclaimed performance in Adaminte Makan Abu.