Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Saturday felicitated actor Mohanlal in the state capital for winning the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country’s highest honour in cinema.

Visibly moved, Mohanlal said the tribute from his home state was more emotional than the award ceremony in New Delhi. “This is the land where I was born and raised. Its air, its memories are part of my soul. Such emotions cannot be acted out,” he said.

Recalling his early days, the veteran actor spoke about moving to Chennai with friends to work with director Fazil. He credited cinema with helping him witness social change across decades. “An actor is like clay shaped by directors, writers and cameramen. I have faced both success and criticism, and I take them equally,” he added.

Mohanlal dedicated the honour to society and his audience, saying, “Without them, nothing can be achieved.” He also thanked his family and friends for their support.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presented the award, called Mohanlal “the pride of every Malayali” and hailed his versatility. He cited the actor’s acclaimed role in Vanaprastham, screened at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival, and noted that in 1986 alone, Mohanlal had acted in 34 films, at a time when most actors today do only two or three in a year.

The actor was presented with a memento, a scroll, and a painting by A Ramachandran.

The function was attended by ministers V Sivankutty, Saji Cherian, K N Balagopal, and G R Anil, along with veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, actresses Ambika, Renjini, Malavika, director Joshiy, CPM state secretary M V Govindan, and MP A A Rahim.