India, Aug. 22 -- Actor Mammootty, 73, battled an unspecified illness earlier this year and revealed this week that he has fully recovered. His friend, actor VK Sreeraman, recently opened up about the challenges Mammootty faced during that time. "In the initial stages, he said that food didn't taste good and he had difficulty walking. But he didn't talk of any of that as if it was of great importance," Sreeraman told Manorama News. Instead, the friends reportedly talked of everything from agriculture to the state of roads in Kerala and politics. The actor also revealed that when Mammootty called to tell him he had recovered, there was more relief than excitement in his voice. Mentioning that the star's recovery didn't happen overnight, Sreeraman said, "He called and said he passed the test. There was no excitement, but I know he was relieved. Although I was happy, I didn't show it. I said I knew he could do it, and he called me a know-it-all." According to Sreeraman, Mammootty is now waiting for the doctor's go-ahead to get back to work, as there's a risk of infection. In March, rumours circulated that Mammootty had cancer and was taking a break from acting to recover. However, Mammootty's team denied the cancer claim to MidDay. Later, MP John Brittas confirmed to Reporter TV that the actor was undergoing treatment for a 'minor health issue.' His personal secretary George later posted on Instagram on his behalf, confirming his recovery. htc...