Mohanlal
Malayalam film star known for natural, versatile acting
- Age
- 66 yrs
- Birthday in 205 days
- Works listed
- 6
- Film
- Honours
- 5
- Most recent 2025
- Profile views
- 2
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Mohanlal is one of the most acclaimed actors in Indian cinema, with more than 350 films, mostly in Malayalam. Celebrated for effortless, natural performances in films such as Kireedam, Bharatham and Drishyam, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2025.
Biography
Beginnings
Mohanlal grew up in Thiruvananthapuram, where he was a state-level wrestling champion as a student. With friends he made his first film in 1978, though it was not released for years. His first released film, Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980), cast him as a villain, and he soon moved into leading roles.
A natural actor
Directors such as Priyadarshan, Sathyan Anthikad and Sibi Malayil gave him a remarkable run in the 1980s and 1990s, from comedies to tragedies. Kireedam (1989) and Bharatham (1991) are among his most praised films; he won the National Film Award for Best Actor for Bharatham and for Vanaprastham (1999), in which he played a Kathakali artist.
Blockbusters
In the 2010s the family thriller Drishyam (2013), remade in several languages, and the action film Pulimurugan (2016) broke box-office records in Malayalam cinema. Lucifer (2019), directed by Prithviraj Sukumaran, and its sequel L2: Empuraan (2025) continued his commercial success. He made his directing debut with the children’s fantasy Barroz (2024).
Honours
Mohanlal received the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019, and was given the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army in 2009. In 2025 he was named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in cinema. He is married to Suchitra; their son Pranav Mohanlal is also an actor.
Why they matter
Malayalam cinema is often praised for realism, and Mohanlal is the actor most associated with it. His strength lies in understatement: critics frequently single out the way he conveys emotion with small gestures and timing rather than speeches. That made him equally convincing as a comic everyman and as the tragic figures of Kireedam and Bharatham. With more than 350 films and commercial records such as Drishyam and Pulimurugan, he is proof that natural acting and mass stardom can coexist.
Timeline
-
1960
Born in Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala
-
1980
Manjil Virinja Pookkal
First released film.
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1989
Kireedam
-
1991
National Film Award for Bharatham
-
1999
Vanaprastham
-
2001
Padma Shri
-
2009
Honorary Lieutenant Colonel
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2013
Drishyam
-
2019
Padma Bhushan; Lucifer
-
2024
Directing debut with Barroz
-
2025
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Notable works
-
1989
Kireedam Film
-
1991
Bharatham Film
-
1999
Vanaprastham Film
-
2013
Drishyam Film
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2016
Pulimurugan Film
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2019
Lucifer Film
Awards and honours
-
National Film Award for Best Actor
1991 · Bharatham.
-
National Film Award for Best Actor
1999 · Vanaprastham.
-
Padma Shri
2001
-
Padma Bhushan
2019
-
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
2025
Did you know?
-
1
He was a wrestling champion in college.
-
2
Fans affectionately call him “Lalettan”, elder brother Lal.
-
3
Drishyam has been remade in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and other languages.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Mohanlal?
Mohanlal is one of the most acclaimed actors in Indian cinema, with more than 350 films, mostly in Malayalam. Celebrated for effortless, natural performances in films such as Kireedam, Bharatham and Drishyam, he received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2025.
How old is Mohanlal?
Mohanlal is 66 years old, born on 21 May 1960 in Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala.
Where is Mohanlal from?
Mohanlal was born in Elanthoor, Pathanamthitta, Kerala.
What is Mohanlal known for?
Mohanlal is best known for Kireedam, Bharatham, Vanaprastham, Drishyam, Lucifer.
What awards has Mohanlal received?
Notable honours include National Film Award for Best Actor (1991), National Film Award for Best Actor (1999), Padma Shri (2001), Padma Bhushan (2019).
Who is Mohanlal married to?
Spouse: Suchitra Mohanlal (m. 1988).
References
- Mohanlal — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohanlal — IMDb. IMDb. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohanlal — Hindi Wikipedia. Wikipedia (Hindi). Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Official website. www.thecompleteactor.com. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
- Mohanlal (Q2050534) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 27 October 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Mohanlal”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
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About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 27 October 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Mohanlal.” TrackFame, last updated 28 October 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/mohanlal
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