India, Sept. 20 -- India's highest cinema honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, will be conferred upon Malayalam acting heavyweight Mohanlal. The same will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards scheduled to take place on September 23 in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to congratulate the veteran actor, his extensive X tribute reading, "Shri Mohanlal ji epitomises excellence and versatility. With a rich body of work spanning decades, he stands as a leading light of Malayalam cinema, theatre and is deeply passionate about the culture of Kerala. He has also delivered remarkable performances in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films. His cinematic and theatrical brilliance across mediums is truly inspiring....