Mohan Lal

Lalettan has added to his accolades and has been made an honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.The 48-year-old Mohanlal will be the first actor in the country to get such a prestigious title from the army. The only other celebrity to get this title is former cricket captain Kapil Dev

The age limit for joining the TA, which has been fixed at 42, has been relaxed for the star who is 48. There is precedence for this as Kapil Dev was too over aged when he was commissioned by TA.

It is perhaps the two army roles that he donned — in Keerthichakra and Kurukshetra — that led to this new development. Keerthichakra depicted the army’s anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir, while Kurukshetra dealt with the Kargil war.

It will be a great honour. It is also heartening to know that I — my films — have been instrumental in Lal getting the honour,” says Major Ravi, who directed both the films. The director will soon start work on a film on the Kandahar Hijack, featuring Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan.
The Territorial Army is a voluntary part-time civilian force that plays a key role in the defence of the country. It provides an opportunity to civilians to receive military training and also provides the country with a reserve force that can assist the regular army during operations, whenever required. However, it remains an honorary post.