Mohanlal conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, dedicates honour to Malayalam film industry: ‘Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul’

He continued, “This moment is not mine alone. It belongs to the entire Malayalam cinema fraternity. I see this award as a collective tribute to our industry’s legacy, creativity, and resilience. When I first received the news from the Centre, I was overwhelmed not merely by the honour, but by the privilege of being chosen to carry forward the voice of our cinematic tradition. I believe this is destiny’s gentle hand, allowing me to accept this award on behalf of all those who shaped Malayalam cinema with their vision and artistry. To be honest, I never dared to dream of this moment, not even in my wildest dreams. And so, this is not a dream come true; it is something far greater. It is magical and sacred. It roots me more deeply in gratitude and responsibility. I accept this award as the blessing of my forerunners, the legendary masters of Malayalam cinema, past and present. I dedicate it to them, to the vibrant Malayalam film industry, and to the discerning, intelligent audience of Kerala, who have nurtured our art with love and insight.”

The actor concluded, “As Kumaran Asan, the great poet, reformer, and philosopher, once noted in Veena Poovu: ‘This flower did not merely fall into the dust; it reaped a life of beauty.’ Let this moment be a tribute to all those who bloomed with brilliance and faded with grace, leaving behind a fragrance that continues to inspire. As an actor and film personality, this honour strengthens my resolve. It deepens my commitment to cinema. And I pledge to continue my journey with renewed sincerity, passion, and purpose. Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul. Jai Hind.”

#WATCH | Delhi: 71st National Film Awards | Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipient Actor Mohanlal says, “…This is not a dream come true. This is something far greater. It’s magical. It’s sacred…”

He says, “As a representative of the Malayalam film industry, I am deeply humbled to… pic.twitter.com/x1z6veIslh

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2025

Mohanlal is the second artiste from the Malayalam film industry to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke honour. It was earlier conferred on veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.

ఢిల్లీలో రాష్ట్రపతి ద్రౌపది ముర్ము చేతుల మీదుగా దాదాసాహెబ్ ఫాల్కే పురస్కారం అందుకున్న మోహన్ లాల్👏👏👏#Mohanlal #NationalFilmAwards #71stNationalFilmAwards #71stnationalawards #71stNationalFilmAward pic.twitter.com/MnNepBtxm6

— TeluguOne (@Theteluguone) September 23, 2025

One of the most celebrated and revered actors in contemporary Indian cinema, Mohanlal has been reigning supreme in the Malayalam film industry for over four decades. In a career spanning 45 years, he has appeared in over 360 films, working in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada languages as well, and has won the hearts of audiences nationwide. He has often been credited by many of his peers and successors as one of their favourite thespians and as the actor who has had the greatest influence on them.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, a day after being named the recipient of the award, Mohanlal said, “Cinema today has no boundaries — it has become pan-Indian. This is not just my award; it belongs to Indian cinema. I thank God for this honour. Any work must be done with honesty and dedication, and many people helped me along the way. I share this recognition with all of them.” He added, “There is honesty in the work we do. I share this award with everyone. I am not someone who shoulders criticisms and walks; this moment is to be cherished.”

A recipient of the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2019) awards as well, Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards so far — two Best Actor awards (for Bharatham and Vanaprastham), a Special Jury Mention (for Kireedam), a Special Jury Award for acting (for Janatha Garage, Munthirivallikal Thalirkkumbol, and Pulimurugan), and an award for Best Feature Film (as the producer of Vanaprastham).

After entering the film industry at the young age of 20 with director Fazil’s Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), Mohanlal rose to fame, stardom and eventually superstardom step by step through hard work, especially since, like Mammootty, he came from a family with no connections to the industry whatsoever. While his career has seen many successful years with numerous blockbusters, 2025 has been one of his most fruitful thus far. Just this year alone, Mohanlal delivered two Rs 200 crore grossers, L2: Empuraan and Thudarum, both of which rank among the most successful movies of 2025. He was most recently seen in Hridayapoorvam, which also became a commercial success.

Prior to Mohanlal, Mithun Chakraborty, Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan were the most recent recipients of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.