Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair (born 21 May 1960)[3] better known as Mohanlal is an Indian actor, film producer, singer and writer best known for his work in Malayalam films. He is considered to be one of the greatest living actors from Indian cinema,[4][5] known for his versatile and natural acting.[6][7][8]
Mohanlal made his acting debut in Thiranottam (1978), but the film got released only after 25
years due to censorship issues.[9] His first film to be released was Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1980) in which he acted as the antagonist. He became a superstar with the commercial success of Rajavinte Makan (1986) which is widely considered as a cult classic in action movie genre. In a career spanning over three decades, Mohanlal has acted in over 300 Malayalam films in various genres. Of these, his notable roles were in Iruvar (1997), directed by Mani Ratnam, and Company (2002), directed by Ram Gopal Varma.[10][11]
Mohanlal is regarded by critics and contemporaries as one of the finest actors in Indian cinema and a cultural icon.[12] He also holds a matinee idol status in popular culture of Kerala.[13] He was elected as the most popular Keralite in an online poll conducted by CNN-IBN in 2006 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Kerala's formation.[14] In 2001, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour, for his contributions towards Indian cinema. He has won four Indian National Film Awards – two Best Actor Awards, one Special Jury Award, and one Award for Best Film as producer; along with six Kerala State Film Awards for Best Actor and eight Filmfare Awards for Best Actor. In 2009, he became the first and the only actor to be given the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army of India[15] and in 2010 received an honorary doctorate from Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kerala
