Actor Mohanlal was recently awarded the Padma Bhushan by President Ram Nath Kovind and the news has left netizens divided.
New Delhi: Star of Malayalam cinema, Mohanlal, was recently conferred the third highest civilian honour from President Ram Nath Kovind, the Padma Bhushan.
The actor then took to social media to share photos from the ceremony, captioning it: "Received Padma Bhushan, The Third Highest Civilian Award from The Honorable President of India, with sheer jubilation. I express my fervent gratitude to the Omnipotent Power above and also each well-wisher, who has directly or indirectly been a part of my journey. Truly rapturous with this inimitable moment."
His post garnered hearty congratulations from his fans. However, a section of social media users started trolling the actor accusing him of receiving the award because of his proximity with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Some even accused him of being an ardent RSS supporter while others pointed out that Mohanlal had met PM Modi a few months back to inform about the charity services offered by Viswa Santhi Foundation, a non-profit organisation named after his parents. Social media users alleged that the foundation has some Sangh Parivar names in its board.
Adding fuel to the fire, Mammootty fans joined the trolls arguing that the actor also deserved an award. Some pointed out that Mammootty's association with CPI(M) is the main reason for his non-inclusion the Padma award winners list.
On the acting front, Mohanlal is currently awaiting the release of his big budget venture 'Lucifer'. The film directed by Prithviraj will be released on March 28, and it will feature Mohanlal in the role of Stephen Nedumpally, a crooked politician. Apart from Mohanlal, the film also stars Manju Warrier, Tovino Thomas, Vivek Oberoi and Kalabhavan Shajon in other prominent roles.
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