&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Mohanlal dedicates his Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Malayalam film fraternity in his speech: ‘Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul’")
As Malayalam superstar Mohanlal received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 71st National Film Awards on Tuesday in New Delhi, the actor dedicated the award to the Malayalam film industry and the legacy of other legendary artists who have received the honour before him. Mohanlal is the youngest recipient of the prestigious award, which is India’s highest cinema honour and given to veteran artists for their lifetime contribution to cinema.
With a career spanning over five decades, Mohanlal expressed his heartfelt thanks to the audience of Malayalam cinema for constantly pushing artists like him to do better.
The actor stated that receiving the honour was not a ‘dream-come-true’ moment for him as he had never dared to dream of such a prestigious honour in his career. It was ‘something greater’ for him.
Popularly known as Lalettan, he ended his powerful speech by giving a special tribute to cinema. "Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul," he said in Malayalam, and concluded the speech with "Jai Hind."
Mohanlal's complete Dadasaheb Phalke-winning speech
"As a representative of the Malayalam film industry, I am deeply humbled to be the youngest and only the second recipient from the industry of this distinguished honour. This moment is not mine alone. It belongs to the entire Malayalam cinema fraternity. I see this award as a collective tribute to our industry's legacy, creativity and resilience. When I first received the news from the Centre, I was overwhelmed. Not merely by the honour but by the privilege of being chosen to carry forward the voice of our cinematic tradition.
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I believe this is a destiny's generous hand allowing me to accept this award on behalf of all those who have shaped Malayalam cinema with their vision and artistry. To be honest, I never dared to dream of this moment, not even in my wildest dream. So, this is not a dream-come-true. This is something far greater. It's magical. It's sacred. It roots me more deeply in gratitude and responsibility.
I accept this award as the blessings of my fore-runners, the legendary masters of Malayalam cinema - past and present. I dedicate it to them, to the Malayalam film industry and to the discerning intelligent audience of Kerala who have nurtured our art with love and insight.
As an actor and a film personality, this honour strengthens my resolve. It deepens my commitment to cinema and I pledge to continue my journey with renewed sincerity, passion and purpose.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to the government of India.
Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul. Jai Hind."
Previous winners of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Mohanlal joins stalwarts of Indian cinema in this esteemed list of honorees. Before Mohanlal, lgends like Mithun Chakraborty, Asha Parekh, Waheeda Rehman, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Vinod Khanna, K Viswanath, Manoj Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, Gulzar, Pran, Soumitra Chatterjee, Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen, Tapan Sinha, Yash Chopra, Asha Bhosle, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, BR Chopra, Dilip Kumar, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Lata Mangeshkar, Bhupen Hazarika, Raj Kapoor and Satyajit Ray and others have received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
