Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Kerala govt to honour Mohanlal with mega event ‘Malayalam Vaanolam, Lal Salam’ in Thiruvananthapuram

The Kerala government is set to organise a mega event to honour actor Mohanlal, who was recently conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country’s highest award in the field of cinema.

Titled ‘Malayalam Vaanolam, Lal Salam’, the event will be held at the Central Stadium in the capital on October 4 at 5 p.m. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will honour the actor at the event to be attended by prominent figures from the Indian film industry, said Kerala Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian at a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (September 29, 2025).

Following the felicitation ceremony, a show titled ‘Aadam Namukku Paadam’ directed T.K. Rajeev Kumar featuring songs from Mohanlal’s films will be staged.

Singers Sujatha Mohan, Shweta Mohan, Sithara, Arya Dayal, Manjari, Jyotsna, Mridula Warrier, Nithya Mammen, Sayanora, Rajalakshmy, Kalpana Raghavendra, Remy and Disha Prakash will perform songs from his films. Before each song, his co-actors, including Urvashi, Shobhana, Manju Warrier, Parvathy, Karthika, Meena, Nithya Menon, Lissy, Ranjini, Ramya Krishnan, Lakshmi Gopalaswamy, Shweta Menon, and Malavika Mohanan, will speak on the stage.

Mr. Cherian will preside over the function, while General Education Minister V. Sivankutty and Minister for Food and Civil Supplies G. R. Anil will be the chief guests. Ministers, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan, MLAs and other people’s representatives will also participate.

Mr. Anil released the logo of the event at the press conference by handing it over to Mr. Sivankutty.

Mr. Cherian said the government has envisioned the ceremony as a way to express the heartfelt gratitude of the State to Mohanlal, who has played a major role in the growth of Malayalam cinema, both artistically and commercially. In his acting career spanning five decades, Mohanlal is an artiste who has earned a place in the forefront of India’s best actors through many immortal characters, he said.

As a large public participation is expected at the event, all necessary security arrangements and safety precautions will be in place, he said.