Overview

• Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the honour, calling Mohanlal "the pride of every Malayali" and praising his versatility.
• Mohanlal said the recognition in his home state felt more emotional than the New Delhi ceremony and dedicated the award to the audience.
• The actor received a memento, a scroll, and a painting by A. Ramachandran during the event in Thiruvananthapuram.
• Ministers and film figures attended, including V. Sivankutty, Saji Cherian, K. N. Balagopal, G. R. Anil, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ambika, Renjini, Malavika, Joshiy, M. V. Govindan, and A. A. Rahim.
• He reflected on moving to Chennai early in his career to work with director Fazil and described actors as "clay" shaped by collaborators.