Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal was selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023. It is India’s highest film honour and is given for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The award was presented on 23 September 2025 at the 71st National Film Awards, where President Droupadi Murmu conferred it on Mohanlal.
For exam preparation, this update links current affairs with awards and static GK. The Government of India instituted the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969 to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke directed Raja Harishchandra in 1913, India’s first full-length feature film. Questions can therefore focus on the status of the award, the award year, the ceremony, the recipient and the nature of the honour. This time, the selection committee included Mithun Chakraborty, Shankar Mahadevan and Ashutosh Gowariker, so the committee and the recipient should be remembered separately.
Mohanlal was honoured for his contribution to Indian cinema as an actor, director and producer. His career spans almost five decades, and he has appeared in over 360 films. He had earlier received the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019. The award includes a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh. For RAS and UPSC-style exams, the fact is relevant under national awards, culture, cinema and personality-based current affairs.