At the 71st National Film Awards, held on September 23, in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the country's highest film honour, from President Droupadi Murmu. At the ceremony, when his name was announced, he walked to the President and received the honour amid a standing ovation from the attendees.

The actor from Kerala also got an opportunity to speak a few words, thanking the entire Malayalam cinema fraternity and dedicating the award to them. Mohanlal called it a collective tribute to the "legacy", "creativity", and "resilience" of the film industry.

Mohanlal said, "This moment is not mine alone; this belongs to the whole Malayalam industry. I never dreamed of this day coming true, and I accept this award on behalf of the

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