Sun, Jan 18, 2026 | Rajab 30, 1447 | Fajr 05:45 | DXB clear.png19.2°C

Nagarjuna, Vijay Sethupathi honour Mohanlal for Dadasaheb Phalke win

The veteran actor is the youngest recipient, and the second from the Malayalam film industry, of India's highest award in cinema

Published: Wed 10 Dec 2025, 12:35 PM

Superstar Nagarjuna felicitated Mohanlal for his Dada Saheb Phalke Award win for his iconic contribution to cinema at JioHotstar's 'South Unbound' event.

The South Unbound event saw the convergence of Mohanlal, Nagarjuna, and Vijay Sethupathi to promote their respective Bigg Boss shows in Malayalam, Telugu and Tamil.

As they arrived on the stage, Nagarjuna took a moment to appreciate Mohanlal for his Dadasaheb Phalke Award win. He called Mohanlal a "deserving actor" who has made a name for himself in Indian cinema.

"I want to congratulate Mohanlal for the Dadasaheb Phalke award. The most deserving actor and the most prestigious prize. This award is so pure and so prestigious, and it has come to the most deserving actor who holds his own in Indian cinema. This man can do anything with ease," said Nagarjuna.

Vijay Sethupathi and Nagarjuna felicitated the actor by draping a shawl around the shoulders of Mohanlal.

At the 71st National Film Awards, the Lucifer star received the award, the country's highest film honour, from Indian President Droupadi Murmu.

"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 forerunners of our industry and our fans," Mohanlal said.

Mohanlal, 65, is the youngest recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the second artist from the Malayalam film industry, after Adoor Gopalakrishnan, to win the award.

New titles

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin unveiled the upcoming slate of 25 titles in South Indian langugages spanning originals, blockbusters and web series at the JioHotstar's 'South Unbound' event.

Stalin and representatives from JioHotstar exchanged letters of intent to collaborate on a new initiative aimed at nurturing young creators in Tamil Nadu.

The agreement marks the start of a structured training programme to equip emerging talent with skills in content creation, filmmaking, and digital storytelling, according to the press note.

The slate of upcoming shows in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada includes the return of blockbuster franchises such as Kerala Crime Files S3, Save The Tigers S3, Heartbeat S3, and Good Wife S2.

JioHotstar has announced a robust slate of new originals and long-format shows such as Cousins And Kalyanams, Moodu Lantharlu, LBW - Love Beyond Wicket, Resort and Vikram On Duty.

The offering is further strengthened by new movies such as Lucky The Superstar and Kenatha Kaanom.

In a landmark first, Roadies will debut in Telugu, bringing one of India's most iconic adventure formats to South India.