Pinarayi Vijayan sheds light on little-known aspects of his life in a free-wheeling interview with actor Mohanlal

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan shed light on little-known aspects of his life in an apparently free-wheeling interview with actor Mohan Lal, which was broadcast on prime-time television on Thursday (February 26, 2026).

Mr. Vijayan revealed his love for Rajanikanth movies and his preference for action flicks. He also dwelled on how reading had helped him shrug off his childhood fear of “ghosts and demons”

“Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables and Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina shaped my worldview. The Mahabharata, the Ramayana, and other classical Hindu texts kindled in me a spirit of renunciation typical of sanyasis. It taught me to be content with what I have and not chase material benefits,” he said. He termed Communist veteran A.K. Gopalan as a “role model”.

Mr. Vijayan’s voice faltered mildly when he remembered his mother. “My mother had 14 children. I was the youngest. Eleven of my siblings died young, my two elder brothers and I remained,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan recalled that after writing his horoscope, his UP school teacher urged his mother to “pursue my studies till I failed”. In those days, he said, children dropped out of school in fifth grade and went to roll beedis. He said his UP school teacher called him “mukhyasthan”, which became a childhood nickname.

Mr. Vijayan remembered that his mother had died resting on his shoulder, and after taking a sip of water, he offered. “I had no words”, he said.

Deep loss

Mr. Vijayan’s words conveyed a similar sense of deep loss and poignancy when he dwelt on the untimely death of CPI(M) State Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. “I could not complete the remembrance speech. Losing a comrade, especially one you consider will remain after you leave, is shattering,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan revealed his love for football, and ball badminton, which he played as a youngster. “We fashioned bats and balls out of coconut leaves and stems”, he said.

When asked whether he had any “weakness”, Mr. Vijayan told how a political rival had threatened to kidnap his children. “Some perceived that my children were my weakness,” he said.

“Mr. Vijayan said political witch hunts and slander campaigns did not perturb him. “The party is my strength, and integrity, my bulwark,” he said.

Mr. Vijayan revealed his love for animals, introduced his pet Labrador, Robin, and shared his views on religion and spirituality, quoting a line from the Upanishad his school teacher had taught him. “God is in your doings and conscience. Chasing idols is of no meaning,” he said.