A Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, Mohanlal described the recognition as a proud moment and said he discussed ways to enhance the efficiency of Territorial Army battalions.
Published Oct 07, 2025 | 8:40 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 07, 2025 | 8:40 PM
Mohanlal honoured by Indian Army Chief. (X)
Actor Mohanlal, who recently received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, was honoured with a commendation by Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi in New Delhi, on Tuesday, 7 October.
A Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army, Mohanlal described the recognition as a proud moment and said he discussed ways to enhance the efficiency of Territorial Army battalions.
He added that more projects related to the armed forces are in the pipeline, continuing his long association with military-themed films.
Sharing the same, the Indian Army wrote on their official X handle: “General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS felicitated the distinguished actor and ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee’, Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) Mohanlal, for his unwavering commitment and continued support to the nation-building initiatives and humanitarian assistance efforts of the Indian Army.”
They further added, “Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) Mohanlal has been a steadfast supporter of the Armed Forces, actively contributing to causes that honour soldiers, inspire youth to join the Services and promote awareness of the Army’s role in humanitarian operations. His association reflects the deep bond between the Armed Forces and the citizens they protect.”
#GeneralUpendraDwivedi, #COAS felicitated the distinguished actor and ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee’, Lieutenant Colonel (Honorary) Mohanlal, for his unwavering commitment and continued support to the nation-building initiatives and humanitarian assistance efforts of the #IndianArmy.… pic.twitter.com/zRbTIIL019
— ADG PI – INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) October 7, 2025
In a career spanning over four decades, the thespian has acted in more than 400 films, including in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu and Kannada. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting while announcing the award, said that the Malayalam superstar is being honoured for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema.
Mohanlal while accepting the award from President Droupadi Murmu, on 23 September, expressed his heartfelt gratitude and reflected on the honour with characteristic humility.
“It’s profound pride and gratitude. As a representative of the Malayalam film industry, I am deeply humbled to be the youngest recipient and only the second person from Kerala to receive this national recognition,” he said.
The first person being acclaimed director Adoor Gopalakrishnan.
Mohanlal stressed that this accolade was not his alone. “This moment belongs to the entire Malayalam film fraternity. I see this award as a collective tribute to our industry’s legacy, creativity, and resilience,” he remarked.
Speaking about the moment of announcement, the actor admitted, “When I first heard about this recognition from the Centre, I was overwhelmed — not by the honour, but by the privilege of being chosen to carry forward the voices of our cinematic traditions. This is not just a dream come true; it’s magical.”
In a moving dedication, Mohanlal said, “I dedicate this award to the vibrant Malayalam film industry and to the discerning audience of Kerala. Cinema is the heartbeat of my soul.”
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
