Malayalam superstar Mohanlal honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023

Reacting to the honour, Mohanlal said, “I am deeply humbled and profoundly honored to receive The Dadasaheb Phalke Award. My heartfelt gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for your kind words and blessings, they fill me with encouragement and joy. I remain ever indebted to the art of cinema and to all those whose inspiration and support illuminate my journey.

Celebrities across film industries took to social media to congratulate Mohanlal on being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Priyadarshan wrote on X, “Heartfelt congratulations to my dearest friend Lal on being honoured with d #DadasahebPhalkeAward. No one deserves this recognition more. Proud2 see the nation celebrate ur extraordinary talent. Grateful to d Jury for recognising n honouring a most deserving legend. @Mohanlal.” Akshay Kumar posted on X, “Heartiest congratulations, @Mohanlal sir, on being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Every time I’ve had the chance to meet you or observe your work, it’s been like sitting in the front row of the greatest acting school ever. This recognition is so richly deserved. Respect and love.” A tweet by Khushbu Sundar read, “Extremely happy and delighted to see our most amazing, our favorite, our most adorably lovable Shri @Mohanlal Sir being conferred with the most coveted #dadasahebphalke honor. Its an honor bestowed upon the malayalam industry, infact the entire South Industry. Thank you @MIB_India, Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw ji, Thiru @DrLMurugan avl and the jury for this. Heartiest congratulations to you Lalettan.”

AMMA president Shweta Menon took to Instagram and wrote, “Our very own Lalettan has been honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema. Every emotion he’s given us, from making us laugh with that effortless charm to breaking us down with his intense roles, every unforgettable dialogue, every quiet glance – is being honoured today. It’s a celebration for everyone in the Malayalam film industry. For me, this feels like a personal victory, and I know it’s the same for anyone who loves and admires his movies. Congratulations, Lattaaaa… forever our pride.”

Although Mohanlal made his acting debut in Thiranottam (1978) — alongside his childhood friend Priyadarshan, who later became one of India’s most celebrated filmmakers and worked here as an assistant to director V Ashok Kumar — the movie never saw the light of day. Ultimately, Mohanlal made his first on-screen appearance in debutant director Fazil’s Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), playing the antagonist. The film featured Shankar and Poornima Bhagyaraj (née Jayaram) in the lead roles.

He has since starred in over 400 films, and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2001, and the Padma Bhushan in 2019. Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards—two Best Actor, a Special Jury Mention and a Special Jury Award for acting, and an award for Best Feature Film (as producer), also nine Kerala State Film Awards. Some of his notable performances came in Namukku Paarkan Munthirithoppukal, Kireedam, Dasharatham, Bharatham, Vanaprastham, Manichithrathazhu and Thazhvaaram. Mohanlal is still quite active as an actor, with the Onam-release Hrdayapoorvam, in which he plays the lead role, still running in theatres.

Also read – The name’s Lal… Mohanlal: The most underappreciated performances of the Malayalam thespian

While he has predominantly worked in the Malayalam industry, some of his best known non-Malayalam films include the Tamil political drama Iruvar (1997), the Hindi crime drama Company (2002) and the Telugu film Janatha Garage (2016). He is also the face of the Drishyam franchise, which has been remade in several languages both domestically and internationally. A third installment is in the works.

Mohanlal recently delivered his biggest-ever blockbuster L2: Empuraan, directed by and co-starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. The film grossed over Rs 260 crore at the worldwide box office, marking a new record for Malayalam cinema. The record was broken recently by the superhero film Lokah: Chapter 1. In addition to being a successful movie star, Mohanlal has worked as a playback singer, producer, distributor, television host, spellbinding theatre artiste, and author.

Recent winners of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award are actors Mithun Chakraborty, Waheeda Rehman, and Asha Parekh. The Award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh. The first recipient was Devika Rani, who is widely acknowledged as the ‘First Lady of Indian cinema’, and was a pioneering force behind some of the earliest successful films in India through her production house Bombay Talkies.

The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on September 23, 2025.

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