Mohanlal’s acceptance speech after receiving this year’s prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in cinema, culminated with the lines—”Ente athmavinte spandhanam aanu cinema”, which translates to “Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul.” It succinctly represented a man who has lived, breathed, and given his all to cinema for almost five decades now.
At 65, the veteran is still busy delivering masterclass performances, while also rewriting box office records—something that has been a hallmark of his career. He is that rare ‘superstar actor’ who can wreak havoc in movie halls with a casual moustache twirl and, at the same time, tug millions of heartstrings with a misty eye, quivering lip, and trembling hands. Some say that even his fingers act, but if asked, Mohanlal would casually chuckle, droop his shoulder even lower, and say that it is all just... magic.mohanl
When a social media user, unaware of Mohanlal’s filmography, asked netizens to name a few of his best works after it was announced that the veteran was bestowed the honour, internet had a field day. Some mentioned Sadayam (1992), where he managed to perfect the state of extreme paranoia. Some others said Mohanlal’s performance as an anguished Kathakali artist in Vanaprastham (1999) was his best.
Some believed that his representation of the fragile decline of an Alzheimer’s patient in Thanmathra (2005) was his tour de force. And then, many listed the emotional beats he effortlessly traversed in the dramas of the 80s and 90s, his immaculate penchant for humour in films that are intertwined in the DNA of every Malayali, and then a few. But how did he manage to do all this and much more? We don’t know. Neither does he. It’s unbelievable how this shy, reticent man who struggles to articulate his thoughts transforms effortlessly into larger-than-life alpha characters or an everyman we recognise in ourselves. Magic, perhaps?
Mohanlal is the first actor from Kerala to be honoured with the Dadasaheb award. The previous winner from the state was legendary filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. Mohanlal has underlined why he is one of the biggest cultural ambassadors of the state and its cinematic legacy.
From his humble beginnings in the streets of Thiruvananthapuram to standing tall as a national icon, Mohanlal has had the privilege of rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest actors. Even as debates swirl about why he was chosen over other “deserving” names, those very peers—Mammootty, Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan, and Chiranjeevi—were among the first to celebrate his feat.
That’s is one thing about Mohanlal. He never brags nor revels in achievements. And yet, he is universally adored and respected in cinema. That’s why he condenses his achievements, process, adulation, and even fandom in two words: Blessing... magic.
There’s a section trying hard to link the award to his political inclinations. But Mohanlal’s legacy speaks louder than that clamour. His contributions to cinema have earned him multiple National and State-level film awards, two of India’s highest civilian awards, and even the distinction of being bestowed with the title of Lt Colonel in the Territorial Army. There remains very little left for him to achieve. When a reporter asked him what he was going to do next, considering he has achieved everything in this field, he said... “I hope I get the chance to continue acting.”
In his career across multiple languages and genres, there aren’t many roles that Mohanlal hasn’t performed—super cops, gangsters, and warriors. But what he does best, or perhaps what people love to see from him, is his common man avatar, for he is the personification of an everyday Malayali. Every time he sheds his larger-than-life image to become a naatinpuram Malayali, the audience embraces him.
And what does Dadasaheb Phalke award mean to a man who has done everything? Like Mammootty, his co-architect of a defining era in Malayalam cinema, put it, “A truly deserving crown”— A ‘Kireedam (crown)’ for Kerala’s slanting wonder.
(This article was originally published in The New Indian Express on September 28, 2025.)
