Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Mohanlal; becomes first Malayalam actor to get the award

For Mohanlal, Kerala's veteran actor-superstar and one of the finest actors in the country, 2025 has already been a stellar year. After a forgettable phase from 2020-24, he bounced back with three successive hits, including two mammoth blockbusters in Empuraan and Thudarum, both of which breached the Rs 200 crore mark at the global box office. In fact, Thudarum became the first Malayalam film to collect Rs 100 crore from Kerala alone, ending with a lifetime gross of Rs 118.90 crore.

Now, the year is set to become even sweeter for the superstar as he is set to receive the highest honour in Indian cinema - the Dadasaheb Phalke award. On Saturday (September 21), the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced that Mohanlal has been selected as the winner of the Dadasaheb Phalke award for the year 2025. He becomes only the second person from Mollywood to achieve this feat, after ace director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Mohanlal also becomes the first Malayalam actor to gain this award. Historically, this award has mostly been won by people from Hindi and Bengali cinema, although there have been exceptions from the Tamil industry as well.

PM Narendra Modi took to social media to congratulate Mohanlal's achievement with a heartfelt post on the networking site X.

"Shri Mohanlal Ji epitomises excellence and versatility. With a rich body of work spanning decades, he stands as a leading light of Malayalam cinema, theatre and is deeply passionate about the culture of Kerala," wrote the Prime Minister.

"He has also delivered remarkable performances in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi films. His cinematic and theatrical brilliance across mediums is truly inspiring. Congratulations to him on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. May his accomplishments continue to inspire generations to come. @Mohanlal"

In 2024, Mithun Chakraborty won the award while in 2023, it went to Rekha. Tamil superstar Rajinikanth won the award in 2019, a year after Amitabh Bachchan was conferred with the award. Mohanlal will be presented with the award on Tuesday (September 23). The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in its official announcement heaped praises on the 65-year-old's contribution to Indian cinema.

"On the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, the Government of India is pleased to announce that Shri. Mohanlal will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023," read the official statement.

"Mohanlal’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! The legendary actor, director, and producer is being honoured for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema."

"His unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work have set a golden standard in Indian film history. The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on Sept 23, 2025." 

Mohanlal has appeared in over 400 films, winning multiple national and state awards for best actor. Apart from Malayalam in which he has primarily worked, Mohanlal has also acted in other languages like Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada.