
Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners: Since its inception in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award has stood as India's most prestigious honor in the film industry. Presented by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Directorate of Film Festivals, this award recognizes artists for their significant contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, named after Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, the pioneer of Indian cinema, is the highest honor in the film industry since 1969. India's first feature film, "Raja Harishchandra," was directed by Phalke in 1913. Recipients of this award receive a shawl, a medallion called the Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus), and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.
Famous personalities like Satyajit Ray, Raj Kapoor, Lata Mangeshkar, and others have been honored with this award. In 2021, renowned actor Rajnikanth received the award for his exceptional contributions to Indian cinema. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards for 2020 and 2021 were postponed. After a two-year gap due to the pandemic, the 68th National Film Awards were presented on September 30, 2022, by President Droupadi Murmu and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.
In 2024, Shahrukh Khan was chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the news, and the award will be presented at the 70th National Film Awards on October 8, 2024.The latest recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2023 is veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal. The award ceremony took place during the 71st National Film Awards on September 23, 2025. Honoring his iconic contribution to Indian cinema over nearly five decades, Mohanlal’s remarkable journey has inspired generations across multiple languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting praised his unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also congratulated Mohanlal, calling him an epitome of versatility and a leading figure in Indian cinema and theatre.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award has been honoring the finest talents in Indian cinema since 1969. The National Film Awards annually presents a prestigious honor that recognizes individuals for their lifetime contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema. Check the complete List of Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners from 1969 to 2025 below:
Here is the year-wise table of Dadasaheb Phalke Award winners with key details, based on data from the Wikipedia page on the Dadasaheb Phalke Award:
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Dadasaheb Phalke Award List of Winner Year-Wise |
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|
Year (Ceremony) |
Winner |
Film Industry |
Notes |
|
1969 (17th NFA) |
Devika Rani |
Hindi |
First recipient, known as the first lady of Indian cinema. |
|
1970 (18th NFA) |
Birendranath Sircar |
Bengali |
Pioneer in Indian cinema, founder of International Filmcraft and New Theatres. |
|
1971 (19th NFA) |
Prithviraj Kapoor |
Hindi |
Actor in first sound film Alam Ara (1931); founder of Prithvi Theatre. |
|
1972 (20th NFA) |
Pankaj Mullick |
Bengali, Hindi |
Composer, singer, actor; background music pioneer. |
|
1973 (21st NFA) |
Ruby Myers (Sulochana) |
Hindi |
First sex symbol of Indian cinema; top-paid actress of her time. |
|
1974 (22nd NFA) |
B. N. Reddy |
Telugu |
Filmmaker and first with Doctor of Letters degree. |
|
1975 (23rd NFA) |
Dhirendra Nath Ganguly |
Bengali |
Founder of Bengali film industry; established multiple production companies. |
|
1976 (24th NFA) |
Kanan Devi |
Bengali |
First lady of Bengali cinema; singer and producer. |
|
1977 (25th NFA) |
Nitin Bose |
Bengali, Hindi |
Introduced playback singing in Indian cinema. |
|
1978 (26th NFA) |
Raichand Boral |
Bengali, Hindi |
Pioneer of Indian film music. |
|
1979 (27th NFA) |
Sohrab Modi |
Hindi |
Actor and filmmaker, known for Shakespearean classics. |
|
1980 (28th NFA) |
Paidi Jairaj |
Hindi |
Actor-director involved in instituting Filmfare Awards. |
|
1981 (29th NFA) |
Naushad |
Hindi |
Music director who introduced sound mixing technique. |
|
1982 (30th NFA) |
L. V. Prasad |
Telugu, Tamil, Hindi |
Actor-director-producer; founder of Prasad Studios. |
|
1983 (31st NFA) |
Durga Khote |
Hindi, Marathi |
Pioneer among women in Indian cinema; producer. |
|
1984 (32nd NFA) |
Satyajit Ray |
Bengali |
Filmmaker who brought world recognition to Indian cinema. |
|
1985 (33rd NFA) |
V. Shantaram |
Hindi, Marathi |
Produced and directed first Indian color and Marathi talkie films. |
|
1986 (34th NFA) |
B. Nagi Reddy |
Telugu |
Producer and founder of Vijay Vauhini Studios. |
|
1987 (35th NFA) |
Raj Kapoor |
Hindi |
Iconic actor-filmmaker known as "The Show Man". |
|
1988 (36th NFA) |
Ashok Kumar |
Hindi |
Known as "Dadamoni", legendary actor. |
|
1989 (37th NFA) |
Lata Mangeshkar |
Hindi, Marathi |
Playback singer called "Nightingale of India". |
|
1990 (38th NFA) |
Akkineni Nageswara Rao |
Telugu |
Legendary actor in Telugu cinema. |
|
1991 (39th NFA) |
Bhalji Pendharkar |
Marathi |
Filmmaker known for historical-social narratives. |
|
1992 (40th NFA) |
Bhupen Hazarika |
Assamese |
Famous for folk songs in Assamese language. |
|
1993 (41st NFA) |
Majrooh Sultanpuri |
Hindi |
Legendary lyricist with about 8000 songs. |
|
1994 (42nd NFA) |
Dilip Kumar |
Hindi |
"Tragedy King" of Indian cinema. |
|
1995 (43rd NFA) |
Rajkumar |
Kannada |
Kannada film star; also a national award winner for playback singing. |
|
1996 (44th NFA) |
Sivaji Ganesan |
Tamil |
First Indian actor to win a Best Actor award internationally. |
|
1997 (45th NFA) |
Kavi Pradeep |
Hindi |
Patriotic song icon known for "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo". |
|
1998 (46th NFA) |
B. R. Chopra |
Hindi |
Filmmaker known for films and TV series like Mahabharat. |
|
1999 (47th NFA) |
Hrishikesh Mukherjee |
Hindi |
Director known for "middle-of-the-road cinema". |
|
2000 (48th NFA) |
Asha Bhosle |
Hindi, Marathi |
Renowned playback singer. |
|
2001 (49th NFA) |
Yash Chopra |
Hindi |
Famous filmmaker and founder of Yash Raj Films. |
|
2002 (50th NFA) |
Dev Anand |
Hindi |
Evergreen star of Hindi cinema. |
|
2003 (51st NFA) |
Mrinal Sen |
Bengali, Hindi |
Important filmmaker of Indian cinema. |
|
2004 (52nd NFA) |
Adoor Gopalakrishnan |
Malayalam |
Pioneer of new wave cinema movement in Malayalam cinema. |
|
2005 (53rd NFA) |
Shyam Benegal |
Hindi |
Director known for films on women's rights, social issues. |
|
2006 (54th NFA) |
Tapan Sinha |
Bengali, Hindi, Oriya |
Directed over 40 films focusing on social issues. |
|
2007 (55th NFA) |
Manna Dey |
Bengali, Hindi |
Playback singer integrating classical music with pop. |
|
2008 (56th NFA) |
V. K. Murthy |
Hindi |
Cinematographer known for lighting techniques in classics. |
|
2009 (57th NFA) |
D. Ramanaidu |
Telugu |
Producer holding Guinness World Record for multilingual films. |
|
2010 (58th NFA) |
K. Balachander |
Tamil |
Director and producer of over 100 films. |
|
2011 (59th NFA) |
Soumitra Chatterjee |
Bengali |
Actor known for collaborations with Satyajit Ray. |
|
2012 (60th NFA) |
Pran |
Hindi |
Famous villain actor with compelling roles. |
|
2013 (61st NFA) |
Gulzar |
Hindi |
Lyricist and director known for poetic work and collaborations. |
|
2014 (62nd NFA) |
Shashi Kapoor |
Hindi |
Award-winning actor and theatre personality. |
|
2015 (63rd NFA) |
Manoj Kumar |
Hindi |
Actor known for patriotic roles. |
|
2016 (64th NFA) |
K. Viswanath |
Telugu |
Director known for films based on arts and culture. |
|
2017 (65th NFA) |
Vinod Khanna |
Hindi |
Actor and politician known for versatile roles. |
|
2018 (66th NFA) |
Amitabh Bachchan |
Hindi |
Legendary actor known as "Shahenshah of Bollywood". |
|
2019 (67th NFA) |
Rajinikanth |
Tamil |
Superstar actor and film producer. |
|
2020 (68th NFA) |
Asha Parekh |
Hindi |
Actress and television director. |
|
2021 (69th NFA) |
Waheeda Rehman |
Hindi |
Renowned actress with a career spanning decades. |
|
2022 (70th NFA) |
Mithun Chakraborty |
Bengali, Hindi |
Actor known for disco dancer and multiple awards. |
|
2023 (71st NFA) |
Mohanlal |
Malayalam |
Veteran actor and cultural icon in Indian cinema. |
Dadasaheb Phalke Award winners for 2024 are listed below, providing candidates with a clear overview of recipients who have significantly contributed to Indian cinema through their outstanding work and dedication:
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winner | Winning Work/Film |
| Best Actor | Shah Rukh Khan | Jawan |
| Best Actress | Rani Mukerji | Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway |
| Best Film | Jawan | |
| Best Director | Sandeep Reddy Vanga | Animal |
| Best Actor (Critics) | Vicky Kaushal | Sam Bahadur |
| Best Actress (Critics) | Kareena Kapoor | Jaane Jaan |
| Best Film (Critics) | 12th Fail | |
| Best Director (Critics) | Atlee | Jawan |
| Best Actor in a Negative Role | Bobby Deol | Animal |
| Best Actress in a Comic Role | Sanya Malhotra | Kathal |
| Best Actor in a Comic Role | Ayushmann Khurranna | Dream Girl 2 |
| Best Actor in a Supporting Role | Anil Kapoor | Animal |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Dimple Kapadia | Pathaan |
| Most Versatile Actress | Nayanthara | |
| Most Promising Actor | Vikrant Massey | 12th Fail |
| Most Promising Actress | Adah Sharma | The Kerala Story |
| Best Music Director | Anirudh Ravichander | Jawan |
| Best Playback Singer (Male) | Varun Jain and Sachin Jigar | “Tere Vaste” |
| Best Playback Singer (Female) | Shilpa Rao | “Besharam Rang” |
| Best Lyricist | Javed Akhtar | “Nikle The Kabhi Hum Ghar Se” |
| Best Short Film | Good morning | |
| Best International Feature Film | Oppenheimer | |
| Best Cinematographer | Gnweana Shekar VS | IB71 |
| Best Actor in a Television Series | Neil Bhatt | Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin |
| Best Actress in a Television Series | Rupali Ganguly | Anupamaa |
| Television Series of the Year | Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin | |
| Best Actor in a Web Series | Shahid Kapoor | Farzi |
| Best Actress in a Web Series | Sushmita Sen | Aarya 3 |
| Best Actor in a Web Series (Critics) | Aditya Roy Kapur | Night manager |
| Best Actress in a Web Series (Critics) | Karishma Tanna | Scoop |
| Best Web Series | Farzi | |
| Best Web Series (Critics) | The Railway Men | |
| Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Name | Film/Song/Series/Serial |
| Best Film | – | Kashmir Files |
| Film Of The Year | – | RRR |
| Best Actor | Ranbir Kapoor | Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva |
| Best Actress | Alia Bhatt | Gangubai Kathiawadi |
| Critics Best Actor | Varun Dhawan | Bhediya |
| Critics Best Actress | Vidya Balan | Jalsa |
| Best Actor in Negative Role | Salmaan Dulqer | Chup |
| Best Director | R. Balki | Chup |
| Best Cinematographer | PS Vinod | Vikram Vedha |
| Most Promising Actor | Rishabh Shetty | Kantara |
| Best Actor In A Supporting Role | Manish Paul | Jugg Jugg Jeeyo |
| Best Playback Singer (Male) | Sachet Tandon | Maiyya Mainu from Jersey |
| Best Playback Singer (Female) | Neeti Mohan | Meri Jaan from Gangubai Kathiawadi |
| Best Web Series | – | Rudra: The Edge of Darkness (Hindi) |
| Most Versatile Actor | Anupam Kher | The Kashmir Files |
| Television Series Of The Year | – | Anupamaa |
| Best Actor In A Television Series | Zain Imam | Fanaa (Ishq Mein Marjawaan) |
| Best Actress In A Television Series | Tejasswi Prakash | Naagin |
| Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023 for Outstanding Contribution In The Film Industry | Rekha | – |
| Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2023 for Outstanding Contribution In The Music Industry | Hariharan | – |
| Best Actor in Web Series | Jim Sarabh | Rocket Boys. |
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