South cinema icon Mohanlal was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu, and the actor received a standing ovation from the dignitaries and guests present.

At 65, he is the youngest ever recipient of the honour.

Expressing his gratitude, Mohanlal said: "As a representative of the Malayalam film industry, I am deeply humbled to be the youngest recipient and only the second ever from the state to be bestowed with this national recognition."

As part of the tribute, the jury showcased a short film chronicling Mohanlal’s illustrious career, highlighting his unmatched contributions to Indian cinema over more than four decades.

Mohanlal’s achievement marks a historic moment for Malayalam cinema, further cementing his status as one of India’s most celebrated actors.

The event also saw Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan receiving his maiden National Award in his long career spanning over 30 years from President Droupadi Murmu.

Khan won the award in the Best Actor category for his role in Jawan, a socio-political commentary.

The 59-year-old actor won it jointly with Vikrant Massey, who won it for 12th Fail.

In 12th Fail, Vikrant played the role of Manoj Kumar Sharma, who became an IPS officer battling poverty.

Khan's contemporary actress Rani Mukerji won the National Award in the Best Actress category for Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, which was based on the real-life story of Sagarika Chakraborty, whose children were taken away by Norwegian authorities over cultural differences in parenting in 2011.

Both Vikrant and Rani were also conferred the award by President Murmu on Tuesday.