Mohanlal, Kerala’s pride

When President Droupadi Murmu presents the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Mohanlal today, the honour will resonate far beyond the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s gilded halls. It will be felt in every Malayali household, where “Lalettan”—as he is fondly called—has long been more than a film star. He is a cultural presence, woven into the daily imagination of Kerala and beyond. Ever since his debut in Manjil Virinja Pookkal (Flowers That Bloom in the Snow) 45 years ago, where he first startled audiences as a sadistic husband, Mohanlal has never looked back.

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From then on, he has given himself completely to each role, shaping more than 360 unforgettable characters across genres, moods, and languages. His range is the stuff of legend. Whether playing the noble musician in His Highness Abdullah, the commanding presence in Aaraam Thampuran (The Sixth Lord), or the fading mind of an Alzheimer’s patient in Thanmatra (Molecule), he has inhabited roles so fully that the line between the actor and the character often disappeared.

That is the hallmark of a consummate actor: the abil-