The Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Malayalam is presented annually by Filmfare magazine as part of its Filmfare Awards South ceremony, honoring excellence in Malayalam cinema. The award was instituted in 1972 and is determined by a jury.
The inaugural recipient of the award was Madhu, for his performance in Swayamvaram (1972). As of 2026, Mammootty holds the record for the most wins in this category, with 14 awards. He is also the most recent recipient, having won the award in 2024.
Superlatives Superlative Actor RecordActor with most awardsMammootty14Actor with most nominationsMammootty25Actor with most consecutive winsMohanlal3 (1993–1995) Oldest winnerPremji 81 Oldest nominee Youngest winnerKamal Haasan 20 Youngest nominee Mammootty holds the record for the most wins in the category, with 14 awards. He is the only actor to have won the award in five separate decades: the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. He also holds the record for receiving nominations across all five decades. Premji and Mammootty are the only actors to have received the award for portraying real-life individuals. Premji remains the only actor to win the award for a debut performance. Mohanlal holds the record for the most consecutive wins, having received the award three years in a row from 1993 to 1995. Other actors who have won in consecutive years include Madhu (1976–1977), Pratap Pothen (1979–1980), Bharat Gopy (1982–1983), Mammootty (1984–1985, 1990–1991, 1998–1999, 2009–2010, 2014–2015 and 2023-2024), and Fahadh Faasil (2012–2013). Mammootty and Fahadh Faasil were received the award three times within six years. Kamal Haasan remains the youngest recipient of the award, having won at the age of 20, for his performance in Kanyakumari (1974). In decade-wise distribution, Kamal Haasan and Madhu each received two awards in the 1970s. In the 1980s, Bharat Gopi, Mammootty, and Mohanlal received two awards each. Mammootty and Mohanlal each won three awards in the 1990s. Mammootty and Fahadh Faasil led with three wins each in the 2000s and 2010s, respectively.
Winners
Year Recipient Role Film(s) Ref. 1972 MadhuVishwam Swayamvaram 1973 P. J. AntonyVelichapad Nirmalayam 1974 Kamal HaasanSankaran Kanyakumari 1975 Adoor BhasiVishwanatha Menon Raagam 1976 Madhu Vinod Theekkanal 1977 Yuddha Kaandam 1978 Kamal HaasanRamu Yaetta 1979 Prathap PothanThakara Thakara 1980 Vinod Chamaram 1981 Nedumudi VenuXavier Vida Parayum Munpe 1982 Bharath GopiNandagopal Ormakkayi 1983 Prof. Shakespeare Krishna Pillai Kattathe Kilikkoodu 1984 MammoottyKarunan Adiyozhukkukal 1985 Unnikrishnan Yathra 1986 MohanlalGopalakrishna Panikkar Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam 1987 Nedumudi VenuRavunni Nair Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam 1988 MohanlalSoap Kuttappan
Maathu Pandaaram Padamudra 36th Annual Filmfare South Winners Madras 1989 PremjiRaghava Chakyar Piravi 1990 MammoottyVaikom Muhammad Basheer Mathilukal 1991 AchoottyAmaram 1992 Murali Bapputty Aadharam 1993 MohanlalMangalassery Neelakantan Devaasuram 1994 Unnikrishnan Pavithram 1995 Thomas "Aadu Thoma" Chacko Sphadikam 1996 JayaramMohanachandran Podhuval Thooval Kottaram 1997 MammoottyVidyadharan Bhoothakkannadi 1998 Balachandra MenonIsmail Samaantharangal 1999 MohanlalKunjukuttan Vanaprastham 2000 MammoottyRaveendranath Menon Arayannagalude Veedu 2001 JayaramKarunakaran Theerthadanam 2002 DileepMeesa Madhavan Meesa Madhavan 2003 JayaramReji Manassinakkare 2004 MammoottyMadhavan Kaazhcha 2005 MohanlalRamesan Nair Thanmathra 2006 MammoottyMuruganKarutha Pakshikal 2007 MohanlalValiyakathu Moosa Paradesi 2008 LalS. Raveendran Pillai Thalappavu 2009 MammoottyMurikkum Kunnathu Ahmed HajiHaridas AhmedKhalid Ahmed Paleri Manikyam 2010 Chirammal Enashu Francis Pranchiyettan & the Saint 2011 Salim KumarAbu Adaminte Makan Abu 2012 Fahadh FaasilCyril C. Mathew 22 Female Kottayam 2013 Harikrishnan North 24 Kaatham 2014 MammoottyP. K. Venugopal Varsham 2015 Pallikkal Narayanan Pathemari 2016 Nivin PaulyBiju Poulose Action Hero Biju 2017 Fahadh Faasil Prasad Thondimuthalum Driksakshiyum 2018Joju GeorgeJosephJoseph 2020–2021 Biju MenonAyyappan NairAyyappanum Koshiyum 2022 Kunchacko Boban Kozhummal Rajeevan Nna Thaan Case Kodu 2023 Mammootty James / Sundaram Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam 2024 Koduman Potti / Chaathan Bramayugam
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