President Droupadi Murmu Presents 71st National Film Awards, Confers Dadasaheb Phalke Award on Mohanlal

New Delhi, September 24: President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday presented the 71st National Film Awards in New Delhi, honouring excellence across multiple categories of Indian cinema. She also conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023 on veteran actor Mohanlal, lauding him as the “Complete Actor” for his effortless ability to portray the full range of human emotions.

Congratulating all the winners, the President praised Mohanlal’s contribution to cinema and highlighted the significance of storytelling that uplifts society. She expressed happiness that women-centric films were gaining recognition, noting that many of the award-winning stories portrayed mothers shaping values, women uniting to confront stereotypes, and courageous voices rising against patriarchy.

President Murmu underlined that the world’s largest film industry reflects the diversity of the world’s largest democracy. Indian cinema, she said, embodies an Indian consciousness and sensibility that connects regional stories to a national identity, much like Indian literature created in many languages.

Emphasizing cinema’s role as more than just an industry, the President described it as a powerful medium for raising awareness and fostering sensitivity in society. “Popularity may be a good thing for a film, but being in the public interest, especially for the younger generation, is even better,” she said, urging filmmakers to strive for global recognition of Indian films.