Overview

• President Droupadi Murmu presented the 2023 Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Mohanlal at the 71st National Film Awards in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on September 23, 2025.
• In his acceptance speech, Mohanlal described the honour as "magical" and "sacred," dedicated it to the Malayalam film fraternity and audience, and thanked the government, the President, the Prime Minister and the jury.
• The accolade is only the second Phalke recognition for a Kerala artiste, following filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
• Congratulatory messages poured in from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and peers such as Allu Arjun, while Ram Gopal Varma’s ironic post drew a light-hearted "black humour" reply from Mohanlal.
• Instituted in 1969, the award includes a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl and a cash prize, adding to Mohanlal’s decades-long body of work across hundreds of films and prior Padma honours.