A Turning Point in Mohanlal’s Film Career In 1986, Mohanlal was given the new status of Malayalam Superstar by the public after the box office success of the film Rajanite Makan in which he essayed the role of an underworld Don. He received his first award for Best Actor too for the T. P. Balag .. Read More
A Turning Point in Mohanlal’s Film Career
In 1986, Mohanlal was given the new status of Malayalam Superstar by the public after the box office success of the film Rajanite Makan in which he essayed the role of an underworld Don. He received his first award for Best Actor too for the T. P. Balagopalan M. A directed by Sathyan Anthikad. Thereafter he went on being part of projects by Padmarajan with whom he had a long term and his association with the director was well noted as they both broke many conventional stereotype films and their films together were ahead of time in the Malayalam film industry.
Mohanlal appeared in 36 films in 1986 alone. The following year, Mohanlal and Sreenivasan reprised their roles and starred in many films that were box office success. He essayed Hero’s role in the love stories as well as broke many stereotypes in India films with twin love stories, like falling in love with two women at the same time which was not common those days.
In 1988, he acted in the romantic comedy Chithram which was playing in the theatre for 366 days and became one of the longest running Malayalam films in the theatres. Mohanlal had won the Kerala State Special Jury Award for his acting in other films that were released around the same time.
He thereafter won the National Film Special Jury Mention for the character Sethu Madhavan in the film Kireedam which was a crime tragedy portrayal.
In the same year, that is 1988, Mohanlal achieved commercial success in a few more films such as Varavelpu. The former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee mentioned the film as clear example of a Malayali towards the global economic changes.
Between 1990 and 1991, Mohanlal acted in several commercial films. His romantic comedy film Kilukkam had won him the State Film Award for Best Actor. The film went on to be one of the greatest comedy films of all time in Malayalam language films. It also grossed the highest.
Mohanlal produced the film Bharatham.
Mohanlal produced and starred in the film Bharatham, a modern-day adaptation of the epic Ramayana which was made in Bharath’s perspective. The film earned him the National Film Award for Best Actor.
The drama Devaasuram released in 1993 was one of Mohanlal’s most successful films and was considered as a cult classic.
Between 1994 and 1998 Mohanlal starred as lead roles in several films. Spadikam released in 1995 won him his third Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and his Fifth Filmfare Award for the Best Actor ( Malayalm) for his portrayal of Thomas. He then starred in an epic film and in the lead role in Guru. The film which was chosen for India’s Official Entry to the Oscars and was considered for nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film category for the year 1997.
Mohanlal acted first time in a non-Malayalam film in 1997.
Mohanlal debuted in a Tamil biographical film Iruvar directed by Mani Ratnam. The film in which Mohanlal depicted as an actor turned politician became a superhit and a critical success. The role garnered him many awards and achieved critical success. The film also got the Best Film award at the Belgrade International Film Festival.
His career enhancement happened with him producing a film starring Hindi film actress Juhi Chawla with Mammootty and Mohanlal himself starred in the film which went on to become a commercial success .The film also had landed into controversies as the film had dual climaxes in different regions. The film also had major issues with the Central Board of Film Certification due to which he was forced to remove Mammootty version from the theatres which didn’t go well. However, in television premieres, both versions of the film produced by him were shown.
Mohanlal gets his second National Award and International recognition
Mohanlal had depicted a Kathakali artist based on a 1999 Indo-French period drama Vanaprasham, which was produced by him and directed by Shaji N. Karun. The film won him the second National Award for the Best Actor and he with this film also got international recognition as the film was also selected at the Cannes Film Festival. He earned the Fourth Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor and a Sixth Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Malayalam. His film Vanaprastham was nominated for the grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest at the International Film Festival 2014. It was selected at, ‘ Celebrating Dance in India Cinema section’.
Mohanlal had career expansion and stardom from 2000 to 2009 and these few years he went to act in films that showcased him in larger than life action hero films.
Mohanlal debuted in Hindi film in 2002
Mohanlal essayed Mumbai Police officer IPS Sreenivasan in his first ever Bollywood film Company. With this film he was introduced to Hindi speaking audience for which he won the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) and the Star Screen Award for the Best Supporting Actor as well. In the film he co-starred with Ajay Devgn and Vivek Oberoi. Mohanlal’s performance in Company was chosen as one of the finest performances by a non-Hindi speaking actor between 2001-2010.
Between 2002 and 2007 Mohanlal tried to change his action hero image and had returned to doing comedic roles. He also appeared in a black comedy film in Malayalam. The film won him his fifth Kerala State Film Festival Award for Best Actor and his seventh Filmfare Award for Best Actor for his performance.
2006 saw him work as a director for a family drama. The film was shot in Kashmir and it garnered commercial success. The film is dubbed in Tamil. He acted in few more films thereafter in Tamil and Malayalam . In 2009, in the Mahadevan series, the Indian Government honored him with the Honorary title of Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army.
During the period, in 2007, Mohanlal once again won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film Paradesi.
His second Bollywood film was Ag by Ram Gopal Varma, which was a remake of the Bollywood classic Sholay of 1975. Mohanlal reprised the role of Sanjeev Kumar.
He later starred with Kamal Haasan in the Tamil film blockbuster which was the last film that year in 2009.
Mohanlal’s continued commercial success between 2010- 2015
Between 2010 and 2015, Mohanlal acted in five films. One of the films was Kandahar a film based on the hijacking of the Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999. Mohanlal reprised Major Mahadevan and it was his third installment in the Major Mahadevan film series for which Bollywood Icon Amitabh Bachchan debuted in the Malayalam film with Mohanlal.
In 2011 Mohanlal had acted with Anupam Kher and Jaya Prada in a love story Pranayama, the film was highly acclaimed . He did several films between 2011 and 2012. It is amazing that an actor can work in so many films within the 12 months. He acted in six films. He also had to his credit his first Malayalam film Grandmaster, which was released through the OTT Netflix which was made available to United States and Canada. He once again acted in the Bollywood film Tezz which was directed by Priyadarshan.
Spirit was his next film which he had agreed to be a part of it with the increase in alcoholism in Kerala. The film was more of social awareness in the society and went on to do 125 days in the theatres in Kerala and was released during Onam festival . The year ended with his film Karmayodha, directed by Major Ravi an action thriller film that dealt with discrimination against women.
2013 – A remarkable year for Mohanlal with the time blockbuster Drishyam released.
Drishyam was made in Malayalam film. His first film for the year was Lokpal and many others that followed. Drishyam had grossed at 75 Crore world wide and went on to be the highest grossing Malayalam film until 2016.
The 2014 saw Mohanlal star in the Tamil action-drama Jilla. The film achieved commercial success which grossed at 85 crores worldwide. The film completed 100 days in theatrical run in Chennai in Tamil Nadu. Mohanlal had few more films released in the same year , with Mr. Fraud a heist film was Mohanlal’s first Malayalam release that year.
2015 saw his debut in the Kannada film Mythri, followed by his Malayalam films which was a cameo appearance in the film Rasam. Some of his films have met mixed critical reactions however they have also received commercial success overall . His last film in 2015 was Kanal .
Career Progression and Commercial Fluctuations between 2016 and 2024
Mohanlal had four released which combined to a whooping gross collection of 378 crore. He was listed as the fourth among the top Indian actors behind Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan in that year.
He had a Telugu film release, an action-drama film Janatha Garage that again did the highest grossing film over 135 crores worldwide. The 2016 Malayalam film that was released was Oppam a crime thriller by Priyadarshan. The film went on to become one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films and crossed the 50 Crore mark at the box office within one and half months. He acted in several films that year but his action thriller film Villain directed by B. Unnikrishnan which went on to be the highest grossing films. Most of his films have been highest grossing films .
He reprised his role in the sequel Drishyam 2 which was released on Amazon Prime in 2021.
In the film Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea underperformed but went onn to win the National Film Award. He had few more releases thereafter and all his films went to be a success. His name itself is brand to promote his films !
Success and surgency. 2025- currently
In 2025 Mohanlal's career surged and he reprised his role in the sequel L2:Empuraan . He is no doubt a brilliant star who can ooze swag and express each emotion in a subtle mood and yet create an impact on his audience. The film was a commercial success and emerged as the highest grossing Malayalam film of 2025. He had other films in 2025 to his credit such as Thudarum, with a box office success, followed by Hridayapoorvam .The three films released grossed the highest in Malayalam. Films of all times.
Mohanlal’s Awards and Accolades - Part 2
Mohanlal has many awards and accolades to his credit. The Government of India had honored him with the Padma Shri Award in 2001. In 2019 he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, which is India’s fourth and third highest civilian honors. He was awarded for his contribution towards Indian cinema.
In 2009, he became the first actor from India to be awarded the honorary rank as Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.
Mohanlal was also named as one of the men who changed the face of Indian Cinema. The Government of India has honoured him with Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest awards in the field of Indian Cinema. He was praised for his outstanding contribution and the growth and development of Indian Cinema in India and abroad.
Mohanlal has won five National Film Awards, two Best Actor and a Special Jury Mention and a Special Jury Award for Acting and one award for Best Feature Film as he was the producer.
He also won nine Kerala State Film Awards and Filmfare Awards South.
His other accolades are an honorary doctorate that he received from Shankaracharya University of Sanskrit in the year 2010 and from the University of Calicut in the year 2018.
Mohanlal V is known for philanthropic endeavours.
Mohanlal founded the philanthropic endeavors and founded the ViswaSanthi Foundation, an organization that is non profitable to create and deliver programs to the under privileged sections of the society with high impact and have focused programs in the area of health care and education.
Stage Performance and other projects
Before entering films, Mohanlal had acted in several amateur plays.
In 2001, he had debuted in a professional drama in which he played the role of Karna ( from Mahabharata) in the drama called Karnabharam, a Sanskrit play directed by Kavalam Narayana Panicker. The play was premiered at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi on 29th March 2001.
Mohanlal was famous for his presentation and his enacting ten classic characters from Malayalam literature which were selected from ten Malayalam novels, over a 100-year period. This drama was premiered at the Senate Hall of University of Kerala on November 1st, 2003 and later it was staged as well.
On 12th March, 2008, Mohanlal portrayed Beehman and Keechakan the two characters of the Mahabharata. The play had a narrative style and it premiered at the Lulu International Convention Centre in Thrissur. The same was staged at three other places, Bangalore, Kollam, Kochi and Kozhikode.
Mohanlal did his maiden show at the Parish Hall of St George Church Kalady on the 9th August 2015 National Games of India. The same year he had once again collaborated with Mukesh for Naga and the play was based on the Kannada play Nagamandala by Girish Karnad.
Mohanlal – A Goodwill and Brand Ambassador
Mohanlal has been a goodwill ambassador for the Government of India for the non-profit organisations. He has mainly acted in public service advertisements for humanitarian causes.
In March 2007, he was made the goodwill ambassador for the AIDS Awareness Campaign in Kerala by the Kerala Aids Control Society.
He was also the goodwill ambassador for the Kerala State Athletics Association.
He accepted the plea in March 2010 from the Department of Industries and Commerce in Kerala and was designated as the goodwill ambassador for Kerala Handloom Industries.
In July 2015, he was made the Goodwill Ambassador by the Kerala Government for Subhayatra 2015, a project that was developed to create awareness on traffic rules.
Mohanlal was appointed Goodwill ambassador for many more , 2016, the project aiming at organ donation in the state, followed by 2021 January he was appointed as the Goodwill ambassador for the eradication of tuberculosis campaign in Kerala Government’s health department.
Mohanlal in television commercials, brand endorsements and advertisements.
Mohanlal appeared in several television commercials and advertisements such as Malabar Gold and Diamonds, Oceanus, He was the first film actor to have endorsed the Indian traditional Dhoti . He was the ambassador for MCR in the year 2001 which thereafter manufactured 30000 coloured dhotis featuring his film Narasimham. He is also signed as the brand ambassador for Kanan Devan in 2002 a tea brand owned by Tata Global Beverages. His contract was renewed in 2014.
He endorsed LG. Electronics during the Onam festival for the Kerala customers that lasted from July to September 2010. His other brand endorsements are Manappuram Finance Ltd, the Coconut Oil brand KLF Coconad in 2013. He also endorsed a direct broadcast satellite television provider called the Tata Sky now called Tata Play.
Mohanlal along with Milkha Singh and P. T Usha signed to be the brand ambassador for the Kochi event International and Half Marathon in 2013. The same was organised by Kochi Municipal Corporation. And Push Integrated Communication Pvt Ltd. He thereafter continued the second edition with cricketer Harbhajan Singh. In May 2016, he also expanded its market to the South Indian audience , the entertainment company Hotstar, an OTT platform that streams media and video on demand. Mohanlal became the brand ambassador for its Malayalam content for which he endorsed its six-week multimedia campaign on television, for its print, outdoor and digital media as well.
Mohanlal's business and his other ventures.
Mohanlal had started several business ventures that were mainly film production related and its distribution. He has also opened up restaurants and has business of packaged spices among many others. He co-owns a production company since 1980 along with Mammootty and two other partners in their investment in Casino.
Mohanlal’s production house released few successful films between 1984 to 1987. He has a dubbing studio for college students, artists called KINFRA Film and Video Park , which was later taken over by Aries Group.
He has also produced films under the production house called Pranayam Arts International.
The actor besides his production house and his business ventures, owns restaurants in India and overseas. He owns a chain in Dubai called Mohanlal’s Tastebuds which was established in 2002. In February 2004, he launched the spices, pickles, condiments and curry powder brand with the same name of which he owns the majority stake.
In 2006, Mohanlal opened a seafood restaurant named The Harbour Market in Bangalore and a hotel too in the name Travancore Court in Kochi. His other business ventures include the Uniroyal Marine Exports Ltd, a Calicut-based Seafood export house . He is also a co-founder, partner and chairman of Jose Thomas Performing Arts Centre in Kochi, which was established in 2009. Mohanlal is an independent director of Celnergen India Pvt Ltd.
In 2009 along with Priyadarshan, Mohanlal tried to bid for an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket team of Kochi but they had withdrawn the bid. Mohanlal was the captain for the Kerala Strikers team in the celebrity Cricket (CCL) which was held in 2012 and in 2013.
Besides stage and films, Mohanlal has interests in other art forms.
Mohanlal underwent 18 months of covert escape artist training under the magician Gopinath Muthukad in 2018 where he learnt to perform the stunt called the Burning Illusion. However, the stunt was extremely risky and the actor was asked not to try out the stunts.
He has been described as one of the most versatile actors and occasionally acted in some professional plays or has recorded 31 songs, most were from the films he has acted in. He also hosted the reality show Bigg Boss on Asia Net in the first season.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Mohanlal recently won the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 71st National Film Awards which was held on September 23rd, 2025. He was recognised for his significant contribution towards the Indian cinema, the Indian film industry. The prestigious award has highlighted his iconic status in the entertainment industry. He has been in the film industry for over four decades.
