Profile
Settings
Refer your friends
Sign out
India’s Highest Cinema Award, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, is given in memory of the founder of Indian cinema for his outstanding contribution to film art and culture. The Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF), a wing under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, instituted this award in 1969 following the death of veteran filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke – ‘the father of Indian film.’ The award is given annually on April 30th, his birth anniversary. Irrespective of the medium, the award is given to the best work of a film director working in the regional cinema of Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
India’s Highest Cinema Award was given in the Name of Dadasaheb Phalke.
The Directorate of Film Festivals has instituted a new award known as the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to honour its awardees. It has been decided that this award will be awarded every two years. As per guidelines issued by this Notification, “this award shall be conferred on an outstanding contribution to Indian cinema being made by the person(s) or body(s) working in India. To honour its awardees, the Directorate has instituted a new award that, compared with other awards of this nature and to make it more meaningful and prestigious, has been named the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is conferred by a special jury of eminent personalities from across the fields, such as cinema critics and academicians from various universities. The jury finalises its decision after extensive scrutiny and discussion.
The only restriction on the award is that it cannot be given to filmmakers working in the regional cinema of Hindi, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu. Only a single film with an outstanding contribution to the respective field is considered for an award in each category. For example, there could be one winner in Best Feature Film (Documentary) category and another winner in Best Short Film (Documentary) category.
Directorate of film festivals
Authority conferring the award
The Directorate of Film Festivals was created in 1966 to organise the International Film Festival of India held at different centres in the country. Under its umbrella are two :
(a) The National Film Awards to reward excellence in production as reflected through several categories; and
(b) The Golden Lotus Awards, instituted by the Central Board Of Film Certification for distinguished contribution to Indian Cinema.
Directorate of Film Festivals (from now on referred to as “the Directorate”) is given by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
Who can apply
The award shall be conferred on Indian citizens who have contributed to Indian Cinema.
The recipient shall be a person or body working in India and whose achievements have been of significant value.
How to apply
The application should be received in the prescribed form, filled in by applicants. The Application Form and other related documents, including information and particulars about the nominee, must be submitted to the Directorate of Film Festivals or to any of the Regional Offices which are authorised by it for this purpose. If the applicant is dead or the application is rejected or forwarded, and the nomination cannot be accepted for three years, it shall lapse.
Duration of the award
Two years, i.e., 1st year – July 2002 and 2nd year – July 2003, beginning from July 2002 till June 2003.
Eligibility
No restriction on nationality, religion, age group, or educational qualification of the recipient is applicable in this award. An individual can only apply for this award once in their lifetime. He will not be eligible for the next three years if he has received previously two similar awards during any previous three years (from July 2002 till June 2003).
The procedure for appointment and removal of members
The procedure laid down by this notification will be followed in deciding on the award.
If any member fails to attend three consecutive meetings without good reason, their seat shall become vacant, and another person may be appointed in their place for subsequent meetings.
List of recent years’ awardees (19 years)
2000 – Asha Bhosle – Singer
2001 – Yash Chopra – Director
2002 – Dev Anand – Actor and film-maker
2003 – Mrinal Sen – Film-maker
2004 – Adoor Gopalakrishnan – Director
2005 – Shyam Benegal – Director
2006 – Tapan Sinha – Director
2007 – Manna Dey – Singer
2008 – V.K. Murthy – Director
2009 – D. Ramanaidu – Producer
2010 – K. Balachander – Film maker
2011 – Soumitra Chatterjee – Director
2012 – Pran – Actor
2013 – Gulzar – Lyricist
2014 – Shashi Kapoor – Actor
2015 – Manoj Kumar – Actor
2016 – K. Viswanath – Sound recordist
2017 – Vinod Khanna – Actor
2018 – Amitabh Bachchan – Actor
2019 – Rajinikanth – Actor.
Conclusion
The Father of Indian Cinema was honoured with the award given to him by the Directorate of Film Festivals India (DFFI) in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke on his 152nd birth anniversary. The Central Board of Film Certification presents it every year to people who have contributed to Indian cinema. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award has been conferred on individuals who have contributed significantly to different spheres, including writing and direction. Actor and producer Anupam Kher is the president of DFFI. The Government has given the award each year since 1969. An Expert Committee appointed by DFFI decides it.
