Mohanlal’s greatest performances: Movies you must watch before you die

In a historic announcement, acclaimed actor Mohanlal will be honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023, the highest recognition in Indian cinema. Widely celebrated for his versatile performances, he has portrayed unforgettable characters across genres.

Over the years, he has also won multiple National Film Awards and several Kerala State Film Awards, underlining his stature as one of India’s greatest actors. Here is a look back at some of his most memorable films.

1. Bharatham—This drama narrates the story of two classical musician brothers. While the elder wastes away his talent, the younger shoulders their family’s responsibilities.
2. Sadayam—The film captures the final days of a death row convict, imprisoned for murdering two young girls.
3. Kaalapani—Mohanlal plays Govardhan, a doctor wrongfully accused of bombing a train and imprisoned in the infamous Cellular Jail of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where he witnesses the plight of hundreds of Indian prisoners.
4. Kireedam—A young man’s life takes a tragic turn when he intervenes in a local brawl to protect his father, a police officer, from a feared outlaw.
5. Vanaprastham—An illicit relationship between a Kathakali dancer and a young woman from an upper caste family results in an illegitimate child. He faces hardships when she refuses to let him see their child.
6. Kilukkam—Set in Ooty, a tourist guide shelters a mentally unstable woman to claim a reward from her relatives, only to realise she is in danger.
7. Devasuram—Neelakandan squanders his inheritance, but his mother’s deathbed revelation changes the direction of his life.
8. T.P. Balagopalan M.A.—Balagopalan, an educated man, strives to save his earnings for his sister's marriage. He also deals with responsibilities towards his family in a society that is ailing from widespread unemployment.
9. Aaram Thamburan—A mafia don named Jagannathan moves to Kanimangalam village. While earning the goodwill of locals, he clashes with feudal lord Appan Thamburan after reviving a banned festival.
10. Spadikam—The strained relationship between a rebellious son and his stern headmaster father forms the crux of this drama.
11. Thoovanathumbikal–Jayakrishnan is torn between two women, Radha and Clara, as he wrestles with whom he truly wishes to marry.
12. Nadodikkattu—After losing their jobs, Dasan and Vijayan set out for the Gulf but mistakenly land in Tamil Nadu, where smugglers assume they are undercover CID officers.
13. Drishyam—A gripping thriller about a man who goes to extreme lengths to protect his family after they become entangled in an accidental crime.
14. Manichithrathazhu—When a locked room in a mansion is opened, the spirit of a vengeful dancer is unleashed, leading to chilling consequences.
15. Chithram—To shield her father from heartbreak, a woman hires a stranger to pose as her husband after her engagement falls apart.

Mohanlal’s vast body of work has defined Malayalam cinema for decades, and this honour reflects his unmatched contribution to the industry.