The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on Saturday that actor Mohanlal will receive the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023. The prolific actor has acted in over 400 films in his four-decade career, predominantly Malayalam films and Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada films.

Mohanlal to get the Dadasaheb Phalke Award

In a tweet on their official X account, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting noted, “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.”

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. The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on Sept 23, 2025.”

Mohanlal’s career

Mohanlal made his acting debut with the Malayalam film Thiranottam in 1978, the release of which was delayed due to censorship issues. The 1980 romance film Manjil Virinja Pookkal officially marked his screen debut. Since then, he has acted in several acclaimed and notable films, including Iruvar, Kireedam, Bharatham, Vanaprastham, and Kanmadam.

He has won five National Film Awards—two Best Actor, a Special Jury Mention and a Special Jury Award for acting, and an award for Best Feature Film. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, in 2019, for his contributions to the arts.

He was recently seen in Hridayapoorvam, which was released during Onam. It is a romantic comedy drama directed by Sathyan Anthikad and stars Malavika Mohanan, Sangita Madhavan Nair, and Sangeeth Prathap.