CROWNING THE MAGICIAN

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.”

- VIGNESH MADHU

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.