In 2023, veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal was declared as the winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award the highest award given to the film industry in India as announced by the ministry of information and broadcast in India. The award will be given on the occasion of 71st National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi on September 23, 2025, in honor of his legendary contributions to Indian movie in 40-year period.
This was announced by the Union I and B Ministry, which illuminated the tremendous film career of Mohanlal as an actor, director, and producer. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw commended the great artist on his outstanding contribution of works, saying that the achievements of Mohanlal have impressed generations and increased the level of Indian cinema.
Mohanlal, who was thankful to him, termed it as a tribute not only to his career, but also to the Malayalam film industry in its entirety. He stressed that this award which is given after 20 years is going back to the Malayalam cinema and dedicated the award to all those artists and associates who have stood by him. The award has attracted a large number of congratulatory messages by the celebrities, fans and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi who complimented Mohanlal on being versatile and a carrier of the culture of Kerala.
Having a long film career of more than 45 years, Mohanlal has appeared in more than 400 movies in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. He has been referred to as the face of Malayalam cinema, and has been awarded a variety of awards such as the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and National Film Awards. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is perceived to be the next step in his glorious career.
Founded in remembrance of the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the greatest cinematic award of India which honours artists who have made remarkable contributions in the development and popularization of the Indian film. The choice of Mohanlal highlights the fact that he is among the most influential and all-round personalities in Indian cinema.
The ceremony this year will be a proud moment not only to Mohanlal but also to the Malayalam film fraternity since this will be the first occasion in twenty years the award was reverted to Kerala.
