Dadasaheb Phalke Award

A Black and White photo of Dadasaheb Phalke looking at the filmstrip

Dadasaheb Phalke, often credited as "The Father of Indian Cinema", made India's first full-length feature, Raja Harishchandra (1913).

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in the field of cinema, given by the Government of India and presented annually at the National Film Awards. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema"<ref name="regulation">Template:Cite web</ref> and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry.<ref>Template:Cite book

• Template:Cite web
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</ref> The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Template:INRConvert.<ref name="Gulzar">Template:Cite press release</ref>

Presented first in 1969, the award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema.<ref name="17thawardPDF">Template:Cite web</ref> Phalke (1870–1944), who is popularly known as and often regarded as "the father of Indian cinema", was an Indian filmmaker who directed India's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra (1913).

The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani, who was honoured at the 17th National Film Awards. As of 2024, there have been 54 awardees. Among those, actors Prithviraj Kapoor (1971) and Vinod Khanna (2017) are the only posthumous recipients.<ref name="PRK">Template:Cite web</ref> Kapoor's actor-filmmaker son, Raj Kapoor, accepted the award on his behalf at the 19th National Film Awards in 1971 and was also himself a recipient in 1987 at the 35th National Film Awards ceremony.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="35thawardPDF">Template:Cite web</ref>Template:Efn

Recipients include several pairs of siblings received this award in different years, for example: B. N. Reddy (1974) and B. Nagi Reddy (1986);<ref name="34thawardPDF">Template:Cite web</ref> Raj Kapoor (1987) and Shashi Kapoor (2014);<ref name="ShashiK"/> Lata Mangeshkar (1989) and Asha Bhosle (2000);Template:Sfn B. R. Chopra (1998) and Yash Chopra (2001).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MKumar"/> The most recent recipient (2023) is veteran actor Mohanlal, who was honoured at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on 23 September 2025 by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.<ref name="Mohanlal-youngest">Template:Cite news</ref>

Recipients

List of award recipients by year

Year Template:Small	Image	Recipient	Film industry	Notes
[[17th National Film Awards|1969 Template:Small]]	File:Devika Rani 2011 stamp of India.jpg	Devika Rani	Hindi	Widely acknowledged as "the first lady of Indian cinema",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the actress debuted in Karma (1933), which was the first Indian English-language film and the first Indian film to feature an on-screen kiss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She also founded the first Indian public limited film company, Bombay Talkies, in 1934.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[18th National Film Awards|1970 Template:Small]]	File:Birendranath Sircar 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Birendranath Sircar	Bengali	The founder of two production companies, International Filmcraft and New Theatres, Sircar is considered to be one of the pioneers of Indian cinema. He also built two cinema theatres in Calcutta, one for screening Bengali films and one for Hindi films.Template:Sfn
[[19th National Film Awards|1971 Template:Small]]	File:Prithviraj Kapoor 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Prithviraj KapoorTemplate:Efn	Hindi	Kapoor began his acting career in theatres and starred in India's first sound film, Alam Ara (1931). He founded Prithvi Theatre, a travelling theatre company in 1944 "to promote Hindi stage productions".<ref name="PRK"/>
[[20th National Film Awards|1972 Template:Small]]	File:Pankaj Mullick 2006 stamp of India.jpg	Pankaj Mullick	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	A composer, singer and actor, Mullick began his career providing background music by conducting live orchestras during the screening of silent films.Template:Sfn He is best known for Mahishasuramardini, a radio musical composed in 1931.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[21st National Film Awards|1973 Template:Small]]	File:Ruby Myers 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Ruby Myers (Sulochana)	Hindi	One of the highest-paid actresses of her time, Sulochana made her debut with Veer Bala (1925) and is considered to be "the first sex symbol of Indian cinema".Template:Sfn
[[22nd National Film Awards|1974 Template:Small]]	File:Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy 2008 stamp of India.jpg	B. N. Reddy	Telugu	The director of fifteen feature films in Telugu, Reddy was the first Indian film personality to be honoured with a Doctor of Letters and also the first to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award in India.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[23rd National Film Awards|1975 Template:Small]]	File:Dhirendra Nath Ganguly 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Dhirendra Nath Ganguly	Bengali	Considered one of the founders of Bengali film industry, Ganguly debuted as an actor in Bilat Ferat (1921). He established three production companies – Indo British Film Company (1918), Lotus Film Company (1922) and British Dominion Films Studio (1929) – to direct several Bengali films.Template:Sfn
[[24th National Film Awards|1976 Template:Small]]	File:Kanan Devi 2011 stamp of India.jpg	Kanan Devi	Bengali	Acknowledged as "the first lady of Bengali cinema", Kanan Devi made her acting debut in silent films in the 1920s. She also sang songs written by Rabindranath Tagore and was a producer with her film company, Shrimati Pictures.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[25th National Film Awards|1977 Template:Small]]	File:Nitin Bose 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Nitin Bose	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	A cinematographer, director and screenwriter, Bose is noted for introducing playback singing to Indian cinema in 1935 through his Bengali film Bhagya Chakra and its Hindi remake Dhoop Chhaon.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[26th National Film Awards|1978 Template:Small]]	File:Raichand Boral 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Raichand Boral	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	Considered one of the pioneers of Indian film music, Boral was a music director who, in collaboration with director Nitin Bose, introduced the system of playback singing in Indian cinema.<ref name="26thawardPDF">Template:Cite web</ref>
[[27th National Film Awards|1979 Template:Small]]	File:Sohrab Modi 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Sohrab Modi	Hindi	An actor and filmmaker, Modi is credited with bringing Shakespearean classics to Indian cinema and was noted for his delivery of Urdu dialogue.Template:Sfn
[[28th National Film Awards|1980 Template:Small]]	File:Paidi Jairaj in Swami.jpg	Paidi Jairaj	Hindi	Initially having worked as a body double, actor-director Jairaj is known for his portrayal of Indian historical characters and was involved in instituting the Filmfare Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[29th National Film Awards|1981 Template:Small]]	File:Naushad 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Naushad	Hindi	Music director Naushad debuted with Prem Nagar (1940),<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and is credited with introducing the technique of sound mixing to Indian cinema.Template:Sfn
[[30th National Film Awards|1982 Template:Small]]	File:LV Prasad 2006 stamp of India.jpg	L. V. Prasad	Template:•Telugu Template:•Tamil Template:•Hindi	Actor-director-producer L. V. Prasad has the distinction of acting in the first talkie films produced in three languages: the Hindi Alam Ara, Tamil Kalidas and Telugu Bhakta Prahlada, all released in 1931.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He founded Prasad Studios in 1965 and the Colour Film Laboratory in 1976.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prasad Studios has produced over 150 films in various Indian languages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[31st National Film Awards|1983 Template:Small]]	File:Durga Khote 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Durga Khote	Template:•Hindi Template:•Marathi	Having acted in the first Marathi-language talkie Ayodhyecha Raja (1932), Khote is considered a pioneer among women in Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She set up two production companies, Fact Films and Durga Khote Productions, which produced short films and documentaries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[32nd National Film Awards|1984 Template:Small]]	File:Stamp of India - 2009 - Colnect 139937 - Satyajit Ray.jpeg	Satyajit Ray	Bengali	Having debuted as a director with Pather Panchali (1955),Template:Sfn the filmmaker Ray is credited with bringing world recognition to Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Cite web Template:Cite web Template:Cite web</ref>
[[33rd National Film Awards|1985 Template:Small]]	File:V Shantaram 2001 stamp of India.jpg	V. Shantaram	Template:•Hindi Template:•Marathi	Actor and filmmaker V. Shantaram produced and directed India's first colour film, Sairandhri (1931).Template:Sfn He also produced and directed the first Marathi-language talkie, Ayodhyecha Raja (1932), and was associated with nearly 100 films over 50 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[34th National Film Awards|1986 Template:Small]]	File:B Nagi Reddy 2018 stamp of India.jpg	B. Nagi Reddy	Telugu	Reddy produced more than 50 films, beginning in the 1950s. He established Vijaya Vauhini Studios which was at that time the biggest film studio in Asia.<ref name="34thawardPDF"/>
[[35th National Film Awards|1987 Template:Small]]	File:Raj Kapoor 2001 stamp of India.jpg	Raj Kapoor	Hindi	Often revered as "The Show Man",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> actor and filmmaker Kapoor's performance in the Hindi film Awara (1951) was ranked as one of the top ten greatest performances of all time by Time magazine in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
[[36th National Film Awards|1988 Template:Small]]	File:Ashok Kumar 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Ashok Kumar	Hindi	Popularly known as "Dadamoni" (the grand old man), Kumar is noted for his roles in Achhut Kannya (1936), Bandhan (1940) and Kismet (1943), the first blockbuster in Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[37th National Film Awards|1989 Template:Small]]	File:Lata Mangeshkar - still 29065 crop.jpg	Lata Mangeshkar	Template:•Hindi Template:•Marathi	Widely credited as the "Nightingale of India",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> playback singer Mangeshkar started her career in the 1942 and has sung songs in over 36 languages.Template:Sfn
[[38th National Film Awards|1990 Template:Small]]	File:A.Nageswara Rao.jpg	Akkineni Nageswara Rao	Telugu	Having debuted in Dharma Patni (1941), Akkineni Nageswara Rao acted in more than 250 films, mostly in the Telugu language.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[39th National Film Awards|1991 Template:Small]]	File:Bhalji Pendharkar 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Bhalji Pendharkar	Marathi	filmmaker Pendharkar started his career in the 1920s and produced more than 60 Marathi films and eight Hindi films. He has been widely recognised for the historical and social narratives depicted in these films.<ref name="39thawardPDF">Template:Cite web</ref>
[[40th National Film Awards|1992 Template:Small]]	File:Bhupen Hazarika 2016 stamp.jpg	Bhupen Hazarika	Assamese	Popularly referred to as "the Bard of Brahmaputra", musician Hazarika is best known for his folk songs and ballads sung in the Assamese language.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[41st National Film Awards|1993 Template:Small]]	File:Majrooh Sultanpuri 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Majrooh Sultanpuri	Hindi	Lyricist Sultanpuri penned his first Hindi song for Shahjehan (1946) and wrote around 8000 songs for over 350 Hindi films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[42nd National Film Awards|1994 Template:Small]]	File:Dilip Kumar 2006.jpg	Dilip Kumar	Hindi	Debuting in Jwar Bhata (1944), the "Tragedy King" Dilip Kumar acted in more than 60 Hindi films in a career that spanned over six decades.Template:Sfn
[[43rd National Film Awards|1995 Template:Small]]	File:Rajkumar 2009 stamp of India.jpg	Rajkumar	Kannada	In a career spanning over 45 years, Rajkumar acted in more than 200 Kannada-language films and also won a National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1992.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[44th National Film Awards|1996 Template:Small]]	File:Shivaji Ganesan 2001 stamp of India.jpg	Sivaji Ganesan	Tamil	Ganesan debuted as an actor in Parasakthi (1952) and went on to appear in more than 300 films. Known for his "expressive and resonant voice",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ganesan was the first Indian film actor to win a "Best Actor" award in an International film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt in 1960. Upon his death, The Los Angeles Times described him as "the Marlon Brando of south India's film industry".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[45th National Film Awards|1997 Template:Small]]	File:Kavi Pradeep 2011 stamp of India.jpg	Kavi Pradeep	Hindi	Best known for the patriotic song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo", lyricist Pradeep wrote around 1700 songs, hymns and fiery nationalistic poems, including the lyrics for more than 80 Hindi films.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[46th National Film Awards|1998 Template:Small]]	File:Baldev Raj Chopra 2013 stamp of India.jpg	B. R. Chopra	Hindi	Filmmaker B. R. Chopra established his own production house, B. R. Films, in 1956,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and is best known for the films such as Naya Daur (1957) and Hamraaz (1967), as well as the TV series Mahabharat based on the similarly titled epic of Hindu literature.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[47th National Film Awards|1999 Template:Small]]	File:Hrishikesh Mukherjee 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Hrishikesh Mukherjee	Hindi	Having directed 45 Hindi films, filmmaker Mukherjee is credited with popularising "middle-of-the-road cinema" through films like Anuradha (1960), Anand (1971) and Gol Maal (1979).Template:Sfn
[[48th National Film Awards|2000 Template:Small]]	File:Asha Bhosle - still 47160 crop.jpg	Asha Bhosle	Template:•Hindi Template:•Marathi	A playback singer of "extraordinary range and versatility",Template:Sfn Bhosle began her singing career in 1943.
[[49th National Film Awards|2001 Template:Small]]	File:Yash Chopra 2013 stamp of India.jpg	Yash Chopra	Hindi	The founder of Yash Raj Films, Chopra debuted as a director with Dhool Ka Phool (1959). He directed 22 Hindi films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[50th National Film Awards|2002 Template:Small]]	File:The President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2002 to noted film actor and director Shri Dev Anand for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema at the 50th.jpg	Dev Anand	Hindi	Widely revered as "evergreen star of Hindi cinema",<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> actor and filmmaker Anand co-founded Navketan Films in 1949 and produced 35 films.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[51st National Film Awards|2003 Template:Small]]	File:The President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2004 to the noted filmmaker Shri Mirinal Sen for outstanding contribution for the growth and development of Indian Cinema at the 51st.jpg	Mrinal Sen	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	Regarded as one of "India's most important filmmakers",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Sen debuted as a director with Raat Bhore (1955) and made 27 films in 50 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[52nd National Film Awards|2004 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presenting the Padma Vibhushan Award – 2006 to Shri Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a leading luminary of New Indian Cinema, in New Delhi on March 20, 2006.jpg	Adoor Gopalakrishnan	Malayalam	Credited with pioneering the new wave cinema movement in Malayalam cinema, director Gopalakrishnan won the National Film Award for Best Direction for his debut film, Swayamvaram (1972). He has been acclaimed for his "ability to portray complex problems in a simplistic way".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[53rd National Film Awards|2005 Template:Small]]	File:Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2005 to the legendary filmmaker Shri Shyam Benegal for outstanding contribution for the growth and development of Indian Cinema at the 53rd.jpg	Shyam Benegal	Hindi	Benegal started his career by making advertising films. He directed his first feature film, Ankur, in 1973. His films have focused on women and their rights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[54th National Film Awards|2006 Template:Small]]	File:Pratibha Devisingh Patil presented the Dada Saheb Falke Award for the year 2006 to Shri Tapan Sinha. Photo shows Shri Anindya Sinha So Shri Tapan Sinha, receiving the award on behalf of his father on the occasion.jpg	Tapan Sinha	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	filmmaker Sinha debuted as a director in 1954 and made more than 40 feature films in the Bengali, Hindi and Oriya languages. Most of the films addressed problems faced by ordinary people.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[55th National Film Awards|2007 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2007 to the Playback Singer, Shri Manna Dey, at the 55th National Film Awards function, in New Delhi on October 21, 2009 (cropped).jpg	Manna Dey	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	In a career spanning over five decades, playback singer Dey sang over 3500 songs in various Indian languages. He is also credited with "pioneering a new genre by infusing Indian classical music in a pop framework".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[56th National Film Awards|2008 Template:Small]]	File:Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 2008 to the legendary Cinematographer, Shri V.K. Murthy, at the 56th National Film Awards function, in New Delhi on March 19, 2010 (1) (cropped).jpg	V. K. Murthy	Hindi	Best known for his collaboration with director Guru Dutt, cinematographer Murthy shot India's first cinemascope film, Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959).Template:Sfn He is best remembered for his lighting techniques in Pyaasa (1957) and the "beam shot" in Kaagaz Ke Phool is considered a classic in celluloid history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[57th National Film Awards|2009 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Dada Sahab Phalke Award 2009 to Dr. D. Ramanaidu, at the 57th National Film Awards function, in New Delhi on October 22, 2010 (cropped).jpg	D. Ramanaidu	Telugu	In a career spanning over 50 years, D. Ramanaidu produced more than 130 films in various Indian languages but mostly Telugu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He features in The Guinness Book of World Records for having produced films in nine languages.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[58th National Film Awards|2010 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil presenting the Dada Sahab Phalke Award 2010 to Shri K. Balachander, at the 58th National Film Awards function, in New Delhi on September 09, 2011.jpg	K. Balachander	Tamil	Filmmaker K. Balachander debuted as a director with Neerkumizhi (1965). In a career that spanned over forty years, he directed and produced (through his production house, Kavithalayaa Productions, established in 1981) over 100 films in various Indian languages.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[59th National Film Awards|2011 Template:Small]]	File:Mohd. Hamid Ansari presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2011 to Shri Soumitra Chatterjee, at the 59th National Film Awards function, in New Delhi. The Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Smt. Ambika Soni (cropped).jpg	Soumitra Chatterjee	Bengali	Best known for his frequent collaboration with director Satyajit Ray, Chatterjee debuted as an actor in Apur Sansar (1959) and worked with other directors, such as Mrinal Sen and Tapan Sinha, in a career spanning over 60 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1999, he became the first Indian film personality to be conferred with Commandeur at the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France's highest award for artists.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[60th National Film Awards|2012 Template:Small]]	File:Manish Tewari presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for Lifetime Achievement to Veteran Actor Pran Kishan Sikand (Pran), in Mumbai. The Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Shri Uday Kumar Verma is also seen (cropped).jpg	Pran	Hindi	Known for his "compelling and highly stylized performances", actor Pran mainly played villainous characters in Hindi films during a career spanning over 50 years.Template:Sfn
[[61st National Film Awards|2013 Template:Small]]	File:Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2013 to Shri Gulzar, the veteran film lyricist, director, screen writer, producer and poet, at the 61st National Film Awards Function.jpg	Gulzar	Hindi	Gulzar began his career as a lyricist for Bandini (1963) and debuted as a director with Mere Apne (1971). Known for his successful collaboration with music directors like R. D. Burman and A. R. Rahman, Gulzar won several awards for his lyrics in a career spanning over 50 years.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[62nd National Film Awards|2014 Template:Small]]	File:The Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Shri Arun Jaitley presented the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to the Renowned Actor, Producer, Shri Shahsi Kapoor, at Prithvi Theatre.jpg	Shashi Kapoor	Hindi	Winner of two National Film Awards including Best Actor for New Delhi Times in 1985, Kapoor debuted as a child actor at the age of four in the plays directed by his father Prithviraj Kapoor and later as a leading man in the 1961 film Dharmputra. In 1978, Kapoor set up his production house Film "Valas" and played a major role in reviving the Prithvi Theatre group, set up by his father.<ref name="ShashiK">Template:Cite news</ref>
[[63rd National Film Awards|2015 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to the Actor Shri Manoj Kumar, at the 63rd National Film Awards Function, in New Delhi (cropped).jpg	Manoj Kumar	Hindi	Known for his image as the patriotic hero, Kumar debuted as an actor with 1957 Hindi film Fashion. The actor and director of patriotic theme based movies, Kumar is fondly called "Bharat Kumar".<ref name="MKumar">Template:Cite news Template:Cite news</ref>
[[64th National Film Awards|2016 Template:Small]]	File:The President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to the Director Shri K. Vishwanath, at the 64th National Film Awards Function, in New Delhi.jpg	K. Viswanath	Telugu	Viswanath started his career as a sound recordist. In a film career spanning sixty years, Vishwanath has directed fifty-three feature films in a variety of genres, including films based on performing arts, visual arts, and aesthetics. Viswanath has garnered five National Film Awards and has received international recognition for his works.<ref name="KV">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="Dadasaheb Phalke award">Template:Cite web</ref>
[[65th National Film Awards|2017 Template:Small]]	File:Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Dada Saheb Phalke Award to Veteran Actor Vinod Khanna (posthumous), the award received by his wife Ms. Kavita Khanna and son Akshay Khanna, at the 65th National Film Awards Function.JPG	Vinod KhannaTemplate:Efn	Hindi	Debuted in Man Ka Meet (1968), Khanna was primarily known for his work as an actor in Hindi films during the 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He took a brief break from films (1982–1987) and entered politics in 1997.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[66th National Film Awards|2018 Template:Small]]	File:President Ramnath Kovind conferring Dada Saheb Phalke award on Shri Amitabh Bachchan3.jpg	Amitabh Bachchan	Hindi	Debuted in Saat Hindustani, Bachchan is often primarily known for his unique baritone voice and for his excellency in the field of acting. Referred to as the Shahenshah of Bollywood, he has appeared in over 200 Indian films in a career spanning more than five decades. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential actors in the history of Indian cinema as well as world cinema, to an extent that the French director François Truffaut called him a "one-man industry".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
[[67th National Film Awards|2019 Template:Small]]	File:Rajinikanth being honored with Dadasaheb Phalke Award.jpg	Rajinikanth	Tamil	Debuted in Apoorva Raagangal (1975), Rajinikanth is an Indian actor who works primarily in Tamil cinema where he is fondly referred to as superstar. In addition to acting, he has also worked as a producer and screenwriter. He was also honored with the Padma Bhushan (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2016) by the Government of India. He was awarded for the year 2019, in 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[68th National Film Awards|2020 Template:Small]]	File:Asha Parekh, Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner for 2020.jpg	Asha Parekh	Hindi	Debuted in Maa (1952) as a child artist, Asha Parekh is an Indian actress who works primarily in Hindi cinema where she is fondly called Jubilee Girl. In addition to acting, she has also directed various television series in the early ages of satellite television in India. She was also honoured with the Padma Shri (1992) by the Government of India. She was awarded for the year 2020, in 2022 due to COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
[[69th National Film Awards|2021 Template:Small]]	File:Smt. Waheeda Rehman, Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee at 69th National Film Awards.jpg	Waheeda Rehman	Hindi	Waheeda Rehman made her acting debut with the Telugu film Rojulu Marayi (1955). She has featured in the films CID (1956), Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Chaudhvin Ka Chand (1960), Guide (1965), Khamoshi (1969), Reshma Aur Shera (1971), Phagun (1973), Kabhi Kabhie (1976), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Rang De Basanti (2006), and Delhi 6 (2009). Waheeda Rehman was conferred with the Padma Shri in 1972 and Padma Bhushan in 2011 by the Government of India. Waheeda Rehman was last seen in Skater Girl (2021).<ref name="Waheeda">Template:Cite news</ref>
[[70th National Film Awards|2022 Template:Small]]	File:Shri Mithun Chakraborty, Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee 2022.jpg	Mithun Chakraborty	Template:•Bengali Template:•Hindi	Coming from humble beginnings, Chakraborty started his film career in 1976 with Mrigayaa which won him the National Award for Best Actor. His popularity sky-rocketed with the release of Disco Dancer which became the first film to gross a whopping [[Bollywood 100 Crore Club|Template:INR100 crore]] worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The 1990s saw him winning two National awards and Filmfare Awards each, followed by another two Filmfare Awards well in the 2020s. With several career fluctuations, Mithun Chakraborty has reinvented himself by successfully dabbling not only between cinema of different languages but also Hindi and Bengali television. He was last seen in the film Shastri which coincidentally released on the day he was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.<ref name="Mithun">Template:Cite news</ref>
[[71st National Film Awards|2023 Template:Small]]	File:Mohanlal, Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner for 2023.jpg	Mohanlal	Malayalam	Mohanlal began his acting career in 1978 at age 18 with Thiranottam. Over the course of more than four decades, he has appeared in over 360 films, predominantly in Malayalam cinema.<ref name="GN">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1980s, he had established himself as a bankable leading actor, and in 1986, at age 26, he was acclaimed by the media as a "superstar".<ref name="TIExpress">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His artistry has been recognized with five National Film Awards, including two for Best Actor, a Special Jury Award, a Special Mention, and as a producer for Best Feature Film—and nine Kerala State Film Awards,<ref name="TIE">Template:Cite news</ref> becoming, at 26, the youngest winner of Best Actor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In recognition of his contributions to Indian cinema, the Government of India conferred upon him the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019.<ref name="GN"/> Beyond acting, Mohanlal has contributed as a producer, distributor, playback singer, and director.<ref name="TIE"/> Affectionately called "Lalettan", Mohanlal is regarded as a cultural icon whose influence extends to Malayalis across generations.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Many of his dialogues have entered Malayalam pop culture.<ref name="TIExpress"/> He is often cited as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Similarly named awards

Several other awards and film festivals have been named after Dadasaheb Phalke, sometimes leading to confusion. Such awards include the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, Dadasaheb Phalke Film Foundation Awards, Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards,..etc. which are unrelated to the award conferred by the Directorate of Film Festivals. Some prominent filmmakers, such as Shyam Benegal, have proposed that the Government of India step in to prevent such use of the Dadasaheb Phalke name but the Information and Broadcasting ministry has said that it could not do so since the names of the new awards are not an exact copy.<ref name="Clones">Template:Cite news</ref>

Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

• Official Page for Directorate of Film Festivals, India. Template:Webarchive.