Mohanlal Receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Bringing Pride To Kerala

When President Droupadi Murmu presents the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Mohanlal today, the honour will resonate far beyond the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s gilded halls. It will be felt in every Malayali household, where “Lalettan”—as he is fondly called—has long been more than a film star. He is a cultural presence, woven into the daily imagination of Kerala and beyond. Ever since his debut in Manjil Virinja Pookkal (Flowers That Bloom in the Snow) 45 years ago, where he first startled audiences as a sadistic husband, Mohanlal has never looked back.

From then on, he has given himself completely to each role, shaping more than 360 unforgettable characters across genres, moods, and languages. His range is the stuff of legend. Whether playing the noble musician in His Highness Abdullah, the commanding presence in Aaraam Thampuran (The Sixth Lord), or the fading mind of an Alzheimer’s patient in Thanmatra (Molecule), he has inhabited roles so fully that the line between the actor and the character often disappeared.

That is the hallmark of a consummate actor: the ability to disappear into a role. Few will forget the pathos of his Thanmatra performance, where Mohanlal stripped not just his body but his very being of vanity, dignity, and self-consciousness to portray the terrifying loss of memory. Audiences still recall the thrillers, Drishyam (The Visual) I and II, which became national blockbusters and proved Malayalam cinema’s storytelling genius to a pan-Indian audience. Unlike many stars, Mohanlal has not confined himself to mainstream cinema alone.

He stunned critics by embracing the challenge of theatre, performing Karnabharam (Karna’s Anguish), a Sanskrit play by Bhasa, under the direction of Kavalam Narayana Panicker. Few actors of his stature would have memorised dense classical dialogues for a single staging, but Mohanlal did—and in doing so, secured recognition from the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, which awarded him an honorary doctorate. His choices have consistently reflected a love for craft rather than commerce.

It is telling that though he once aspired to join the armed forces, his patriotism still shines through in his service as a lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Army. What he has never done is mix cinema with politics, a decision that has only strengthened his image as an artist devoted entirely to his profession.

The Phalke Award comes to Kerala for only the second time—the first recipient being the great director Adoor Gopalakrishnan. That makes this honour doubly significant—a recognition not just of Mohanlal’s artistry but of Malayalam cinema’s enduring contribution to India’s cultural identity. In Mohanlal’s triumph, Malayalis everywhere see a reflection of their own pride. For once, even the friendly rivalry between him and Mammootty dissolves into celebration. After all, Lalettan’s award is also Kerala’s.

Published on: Tuesday, September 23, 2025, 03:35 PM IST