Popularity may be a good thing, but being in public interest is even better: President Droupadi Murmu at 71st National Awards

NEW DELHI: President Droupadi Murmu presented the 71st National Film Awards in various categories in New Delhi on Tuesday. The President also conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 on the South superstar Mohanlal.

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 on Shri Mohanlal in New Delhi. pic.twitter.com/gJJpfEWo03

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 23, 2025

While addressing the gathering at the ceremony, the President congratulated all the award winners, as well as Mohanlal, who received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. She said that Mohanlal has effortlessly portrayed the softest of the soft and the harshest of the harsh emotions, creating an image of the ‘Complete Actor’.

#WATCH | Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu confers Actor Mohanlal with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema’s highest recognition at the 71st National Film Awards.

(Source: DD News) pic.twitter.com/JvclJ6H49g

— ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2025

The President emphasised that the cinema is not just an industry; it is also a powerful medium for raising awareness in society and the nation and making citizens more sensitive. She said that popularity may be a good thing for a film, but being in the public interest, especially for the younger generation, is even better.

President Droupadi Murmu presented the 71st National Film Awards in various categories in New Delhi.
The President said that cinema is not just an industry; it is also a powerful medium for raising awareness in society and the nation and making citizens more sensitive. pic.twitter.com/xgKBANrWLa

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) September 23, 2025

She urged all those associated with the film industry to make efforts to ensure that Indian films get greater acceptance, their popularity increases, and they get recognition at the global level. The President also expressed her happiness at the production of women-centric films and their success.

She noted that the films awarded today include stories of mothers shaping the morals of their children, women uniting to confront social stereotypes, the plight of women amidst the complexities of home, family, and social order, and stories of courageous women who raise their voices against the inequalities of patriarchy. She appreciated such sensitive filmmakers in her speech.

In her speech, President Murmu said that the world’s largest film industry represents the world’s largest democracy and most diverse society through its most influential and popular art form. She was happy to note that everyone associated with cinema has an Indian consciousness, an Indian sensibility that connects all local contexts.

Just as Indian literature is created in many languages, Indian cinema is developing in many languages, dialects, regions, and local environments. She said that our films are both local and national, added President Droupadi Murmu. (ANI)