Home / Arts and Entertainment / Mohanlal Receives Prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Sparking Debate
Mohanlal Receives Prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Sparking Debate
26 Sep, 2025
Summary
- Mohanlal awarded India's highest cinematic honor, Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Debate over his claims of being youngest recipient and second from Kerala
- Controversy around poetic verse he recited, not from original work

On September 26, 2025, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest cinematic honor, by President Droupadi Murmu. During the ceremony, Mohanlal expressed humility and pride, claiming to be the youngest recipient and only the second ever from the state of Kerala to receive this national recognition.
However, this speech has sparked a debate on social media, with users questioning the accuracy of Mohanlal's claims. Scholars and social media users have also questioned the authenticity of the poetic verse he recited, noting that the lines do not appear in Kumaran Asan's original work 'Veena Poovu'. Some have suggested the verses may belong to other poets, such as P. Bhaskaran or Changampuzha.
Despite the controversies, Mohanlal's contribution to Indian cinema is widely celebrated. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is a testament to his illustrious career and the impact he has had on the Malayalam film industry. As the second recipient from Mollywood after the iconic director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mohanlal's achievement is a significant milestone for the Malayalam film industry.