With Mohanlal receiving the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025, do you feel regional cinema is finally getting more national attention, or does Bollywood still dominate such honours?
Bollywood’s dominance is structural, not about who wins one award. It has money, media, and global outreach. The Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025 to Mohanlal is a recognition of his excellence, yes, but it doesn’t mean regional cinema suddenly has more space in national discourse. It’s like giving one medal to a regional hero while the main parade is still run by Bollywood. Symbolic? Absolutely. Game-changing? Not really.
I don’t see this as a shift toward regional cinema at all. If you look at the long history of the award, the majority of recipients are still from Hindi cinema. Occasionally, a Rajinikanth or Mohanlal gets honoured, but the weightage is still heavily Bollywood-centric. The Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025 is great news for Kerala and Malayalam film lovers, but until we see a consistent pattern of regional stalwarts being celebrated, Bollywood will remain the dominating force. This award is more of an exception than a new trend.
The award’s choice this year is symbolic but powerful. The Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025 puts Kerala on the national stage. For decades, Malayalam cinema has been known for strong storytelling and realistic performances, but outside Kerala, only serious cinephiles followed it. Now, with a legend like Mohanlal being recognized, even casual viewers may explore Malayalam films. This could create a ripple effect where regional content finally receives the respect it deserves. I see this as the beginning of something bigger, though it will take time.
In my opinion, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025 does signal a gradual shift. Consider the last decade: Rajinikanth, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and now Mohanlal—all non-Bollywood legends. This pattern indicates growing respect for regional industries. Streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime have also boosted this transition. Viewers across India now watch Malayalam, Tamil, or Kannada films with subtitles, which was rare before. So while Bollywood remains dominant, the monopoly is cracking. The award is just one reflection of this larger cultural shift.
Regional cinema has always been vibrant, but its recognition at the national level has been sporadic. With Mohanlal winning the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025, I do feel regional industries are being acknowledged more frequently. That said, Bollywood still dominates the narrative. Media houses based in Mumbai have far greater reach, and the Hindi-speaking belt naturally consumes more Bollywood content. This skews perception. Awards like these, however, balance things a bit. By choosing Mohanlal, the government highlights Malayalam cinema’s richness. But let’s be honest—one award every few years doesn’t equalize decades of Bollywood’s dominance. It’s a step forward, but not a revolution.
Regional cinema is already getting national attention through box-office phenomena like KGF, Baahubali, and RRR. In that sense, the Dada Saheb Phalke Award 2025 is not initiating but rather endorsing a trend that’s already in motion. Mohanlal’s recognition validates decades of outstanding regional cinema. The bigger question is whether this recognition will extend beyond superstars to include directors, technicians, and writers from smaller industries. Until that happens, I’ll say Bollywood is loosening its grip, but it’s still holding the crown.