Overview

• The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the award on Sept. 20, citing the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee’s recommendation.
• The honor will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi on Sept. 23, 2025.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Mohanlal on X, praising his excellence and versatility across Malayalam and other Indian languages.
• Mohanlal responded that he is “deeply humbled,” expressing gratitude and saying he remains indebted to the art of cinema.
• Industry figures including Mammootty, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Akshay Kumar hailed the recognition; Mohanlal is only the second Malayalam cinema artist to receive the award after Adoor Gopalakrishnan.