Mohanlal honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023; film fraternity congratulates him
New Delhi: Veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal has been named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023, the country’s highest honour in cinema. The actor said he felt “deeply humbled and profoundly honoured” on receiving the recognition.
Several actors and filmmakers from across the industry congratulated him, calling the award “well deserved.”
Mammootty, Mohanlal’s long-time friend and colleague, wrote on X, “More than a colleague, a brother, and an artist who has been part of this wonderful cinematic journey for decades. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is not just for an actor, but for a true artist who has lived and breathed cinema. Proud of you, Lal. You truly deserve this crown.”
Actor and filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran, who directed Mohanlal in L2: Empuraan, said on Instagram, “Congratulations chetta on the Dadasaheb Phalke Award! A truly well-deserved recognition for a legend beyond ages.”
Akshay Kumar also extended his wishes, saying, “Every time I’ve had the chance to meet you or observe your work, it’s been like sitting in the front row of the greatest acting school ever. This recognition is so richly deserved. Respect and love.”
Actor Manju Warrier, who first starred alongside Mohanlal in Kanmadam, wrote, “Congratulations Laletta! Thank you for inspiring generations, and for being our very own.”
Producer Antony Perumbavoor, who has worked closely with Mohanlal for years, said, “Seeing my dearest Mohanlal Sir honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award fills me with immense joy. For those of us who have walked this journey with him, it’s more than an award. It’s a celebration of a lifetime of love and dedication to cinema.”
On his X account, Mohanlal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes and added, “I remain ever indebted to the art of cinema and to all those whose inspiration and support illuminate my journey.”
Mohanlal was most recently seen in the family drama Hridayapoorvam, which released during Onam.
More than a colleague, a brother, and an artist who has embarked on this wonderful cinematic journey for decades. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is not just for an actor, but for a true artist who has lived and breathed cinema. So happy and proud of you, Lal. You truly deserve this… pic.twitter.com/z5e8qVolWL
— Mammootty (@mammukka) September 20, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
