Mohanlal receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award from President Droupadi Murmu

Versatile actor Mohanlal received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from President Droupadi Murmu during the 71st National Film Awards ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday. Mohanlal attended the event along with his wife Suchitra Mohanlal.

Accepting the award, Mohanlal said, “It is with profound pride and gratitude that I stand before you today, having received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, an award instituted in the name of the revered father of Indian cinema.

As a representative of the Malayalam film industry, I am deeply humbled to be the youngest recipient and only the second ever from the state to be bestowed with this national recognition. This moment is not mine alone. It belongs to the entire Malayalam cinema fraternity. I see this as a collective tribute to our industry, legacy, resilience, and creativity of Malayalam cinema."

Actors Shah Rukh Khan and Vikrant Massey shared the Best Actor award for their performances in films 'Jawan' and '12th Fail', respectively. Meanwhile, Sanjay Jaju, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was all praise for Shah Rukh Khan at the awards ceremony, describing him as the 'king of hearts'. He also said Mohanlal has remained everyone's Lalettan. “For more than four decades, he has played many men in cinema. Yet in the hearts of millions, he will always be Lalettan.Rani Mukerji received the award for Best Actress for her powerful portrayal of a resilient mother in 'Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway'.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s ‘12th Fail’ took home the Best Feature Film, while Karan Johar-directed ‘Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani’ received the award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. Filmmaker Sudipto Sen received the Best Direction award for his movie 'The Kerala Story', amid backlash from the Malayali community, who criticised the jury's decision regarding the merit of the film. ‘Flowering Man’, produced by the Film and Television Institute of India, was awarded the prestigious Golden Lotus Award at the ceremony.

Director Christo Tomy received the award for Best Malayalam film for his critically acclaimed film ‘Ullozhukku’. At the same time, Urvashi took home the award for Best Supporting Actress for her acting in the same movie. Vijayaraghavan, who played a 100-year-old veteran in ‘Pookkaalam’, accepted the Best Supporting Actor along with Tamil actor M S Bhaskar for his role in 'Parking'. Midhun Murali received the award for Best Editor for his work in ‘Pookkaalam.’

Jude Anthany Joseph’s widely praised disaster drama '2018', which depicted the Kerala floods, was also honoured for Best Production Design, adding another feather to its cap. In the non-feature films category, 'Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man,' directed by M K Ramadas, received a Special Mention. 

Here's the full list of winners
Feature films

• Special mentions: MR Rajakrishnan (Animal - Re-Recording)
• Best Tai Phake Film: Pai Tang…Step of Hope
• Best Garo Film: Rimdottianga
• Best Telugu Film: Bhagavanth Kesari
• Best Tamil Film: Parking
• Best Punjabi Film: Godday Godday Chaa
• Best Odia Film: Pushkar
• Best Marathi Film: Shyamchi Aai
• Best Malayalam Film: Ullozhukku
• Best Kannada Film: Kandeelu
• Best Hindi Film: Kathal
• Best Gujarati Film: Vas
• Best Bengali Film: Deep Fridge
• Best Assamese Film: Rongatapu 1982
• Best Action Direction: Nandu-Prudhvi (HanuMan)
• Best Choreography: Vaibhavi Merchant (Dindhora Baje Re - Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani)
• Best Lyrics: Kasarla Shyam (Ooru Palleturu - Balagam)
• Best Music Direction: GV Prakash Kumar (Vaathi), Harshavardhan Rameshwar (Animal)
• Best Makeup: Shrikanth Desai (Sam Bahadur)
• Best Costume Design: Sachin, Divya, Nidhhi (Sam Bahadur)
• Best Sound Design: Sachin Sudhakaran, Hariharan (Animal)
• Best Screenplay: Sai Rajesh (Baby), Ramkumar Balakrishnan (Parking)
• Best Dialogue: Deepak Kingrani (Sirf Ek Bandha Kaafi Hai)
• Best Cinematography: Prasanthanu Mohapatra (The Kerala Story)
• Best Playback Singer: Shilpa Rao (Chaliya - Jawan), Rohit (Premisthunna - Baby)
• Best Child Artist: Sukriti Bandireddi (Gandhi Thatha Chettu), Kabir Khandare (Gypsy), Treesha Toshar, Shrinivas Pokale, Bhargav (Naal 2)
• Best Actress in Supporting Role: Urvashi (Ullozhukku), Janki Bodiwala (Vash)
• Best Actor in Supporting Role: Vijayaraghavan (Pookalam), Muthupettai Somu Bhaskar (Parking)
• Best Actress in Leading Role: Rani Mukerji (Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway), Best Actor in Leading Role: Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan), Vikrant Massey (12th Fail)
• Best Direction: Sudipto Sen (The Kerala Story)
• Best Film in AVGC: HanuMan
• Best Children’s Film: Naal 2
• Best Film Promoting National, Social Values: Sam Bahadur
• Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani
• Best Debut Film: Aatmapamphlet
• Best Film: 12th Fail

Non-feature films | Special mentions:

• Nekal – Chronicle of the Paddy Man, The Sea and the Seven Villages
• Best Script: Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know
• Best Voiceover: Hari Krishnan S (The Sacred Jack – Exploring The Tree of Wishes)
• Best Music Direction: Pranil Desai (The First Film)
• Best Editing: Niladri Roy (Moving Focus)
• Best Sound Design: Shubarun Sengupta (Dhundhgiri Ke Phool)
• Best Cinematography: Meenakshi Soman, Saravanamaruthu (Little Wings)
• Best Direction: Piyush Thakur (The First Film)
• Best Short Film: Giddh The Scavenger
• Best Non-Feature Film Promoting Social and Environmental Values: The Silent Epidemic
• Best Documentary Film: God Vulture and Human
• Best Art/Culture Film: Timeless Tamil Nadu
• Best Biographical/Historical Reconstruction Film: Mo Bou Mo Gaan, Lentina Ao
• Best Debut Film: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw
• Best Non-Fiction Film: Flowering Man