Abu Dhabi - It was a moment to cherish for Anumol, an ardent aficionado of Lalettan, as actor Mohanlal is endearingly called.
Published: Tue 12 May 2020, 5:02 PM
Ahead of the International Nurses Day, Indian actor Mohanlal surprised the UAE's frontline warriors with a phone call. Mohanlal expressed his gratitude to the UAE's "superheroes" for their selfless service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Anumol Joseph, nurse, Medeor Hospital, Dubai, couldn't believe her ears when she realised the person at the other end was none other than Mohanlal.
Donned in personal protective equipment, and busy working in the Covid-19 ward, it was a moment to cherish for Anumol, an ardent aficionado of Lalettan, as actor Mohanlal is endearingly called.
"I am so happy and elated. It was a true fangirl moment. I would cherish this for my lifetime. Usually, I do not take calls from unknown numbers during duty hours. Particularly now, as we have to remove our face shields to attend calls. But I would have regretted it for my entire life had I missed the call," said Anumol.
"I was surprised. The sound was very familiar. But never did I imagine that it could actually be Lalettan. For a moment, I even suspected that somebody was trying to befool us by mimicking his voice," she said. "When I attended to the call, a mellow male voice from the other end replied: "Namaste, good morning! Njan actor Mohanlal aanu' (Greetings! I am actor Mohanlal this side). It took me some time to collect myself. Then I squealed with joy," she added.
When Anumol requested Mohanlal to have lunch with them the next time he is in Dubai, the actor responded positively.
"He said the whole world is remembering us in prayers and this tough phase would soon come to an end. He wished me the best and asked to stay safe while treating patients," said Anumol.
'Best gift on Nurses Day'
The actor surprised over a dozen nurses working at Burjeel, Medeor, LLH, and Lifecare hospitals in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Al Ain on Monday by making a call on their mobile phones.
Princy George, a staff nurse at VPS Healthcare's Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi, was jubilant over the "special" call.
"I was in a group meeting when I got the call. I couldn't believe it was Lalettan. I was a bit shocked but Lalettan cheered me up," she said, adding the actor was kind enough to speak to her friends in the department. "All of us are ecstatic. This is the best gift I would ever get in my life on Nurses Day. Usually, we get gifts, chocolates, and flowers at the hospital. But this one was truly special," she added.
Maneesh Babu, nursing supervisor at Burjeel Medical City, is also a great fan of the actor.
"I am so happy that you have called us. Thank you for your nice words and wishes, sir," he told Mohanlal over the mobile phone.
Burjeel Medical City has been converted into a complete Covid-19 hospital treating only infected persons.
'They are real superheroes'
Making his surprise call to nurses, Mohanlal said that nurses and doctors are the real superheroes who are on the frontlines of the battle against the deadly pandemic.
"It is our responsibility that we thank them for their commitment and sacrifices. We all should be grateful to them and pray for their good health," he said, adding that the UAE is like a second home for him and he has a long relationship of over four decades with the nation. He also enquired about the conditions of the nurses in these places and asked them to stay safe.
Mohanlal, who he is currently in Chennai, urged the nurses to stay strong and asked them not to worry about the conditions in Kerala as the state is doing better. He praised the nurses for their efforts and talked to them for over 40 minutes.
The surprise call by Mohanlal was arranged by VPS Healthcare as a special gift to the nurses. The nurses were already informed that some would be getting an important call but none of them knew it would be the iconic actor.
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com
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