Malayalam superstar Mohanlal to be honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Chennai, Sep 20 (IANS) Mollywood superstar Mohanlal will be honored with the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023 for his praiseworthy contribution to Indian cinema.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday made the announcement on their official X (Previously known as Twitter) handle and wrote, "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."

Reflecting on Mohanlal's cinematic journey, they added, "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."

They further informed that the award will be presented to the 'Drishyam' actor at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on Sept 23, 2025.

Mohanlal made his acting debut at 18 in the Malayalam drama "Thiranottam" back in 1978. However, the release of the film was delayed for 25 years, owing to censorship issues.

The superstar first appeared on the screen in the 1980 romantic drama "Manjil Virinja Pookkal". He was seen as antagonist in the flick.

In the coming years, Mohanlal continued to prove his mettle in villainous roles, along with playing secondary leads.

He finally rose to fame with the 1986 crime drama "Rajavinte Makan".

During his career spanning more than four decades, he has been a part of more than 400 films.

Along with doing Malayalam cinema, Mohanlal has also worked in other languages such as Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada.

Back in 2001, the Government of India honoured Mohanlal with Padma Shri, followed by a Padma Bhushan in 2019, for his contributions to Indian cinema.

Later in 2009, Mohanlal became the first actor in the Indian film industry to be awarded the honorary rank of lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army.

--IANS

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