Mohanlal to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023

New Delhi :

Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal has been chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023, the country’s highest recognition in cinema, for his iconic and enduring contribution to Indian films. The announcement was made by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday. The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi on September 23, 2025.

Widely known as Lalettan among fans, Mohanlal has been a towering presence in Indian cinema for over four decades. Since his debut in the late 1970s, he has acted in more than 350 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi. His versatility, seemingly moving between intense drama, understated realism, comedy, and larger-than-life roles, has earned him both mass popularity and critical acclaim.

The actor has earlier won five National Film Awards, including two for Best Actor, and was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019. With this recognition, Mohanlal became only the second personality from Kerala, after filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award since its institution in 1969.

Congratulating him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Mohanlal as an “epitome of excellence and versatility,” praising his ability to embody diverse characters and his contribution to the cultural landscape of Kerala and Indian cinema at large.

The Ministry, in its statement, noted that Mohanlal’s “remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations” and described him as a “legendary actor, director and producer whose unmatched talent, versatility and relentless hard work have set a golden standard in Indian film history.”

Over the years, Malayalam cinema has gained national and international recognition, and Mohanlal has been central to that journey. His career reflects both popular appeal and artistic innovation, bridging regional and mainstream Indian cinema.

The conferment of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award on Mohanlal, observers say, is not only a personal milestone for the actor but also a moment of pride for Malayalam cinema, which continues to shape the language of Indian storytelling.

Mohanlal will receive the medallion, shawl, and citation at the ceremony next week, a fitting honour for a performer whose work has defined generations of Indian filmgoers.