The Dadasaheb Phalke Award stands as the pinnacle of recognition in the Indian film industry, honoring individuals for their exceptional contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema. Instituted in 1969 by the Government of India, the award commemorates the legendary Dadasaheb Phalke, often hailed as the “father of Indian cinema.” Dahasaehb Phalke’s groundbreaking work includes directing India’s inaugural full-length feature film, “Raja Harishchandra” in 1913.
The inaugural presentation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award took place in 1969, with actress Devika Rani being the first recipient. Devika Rani, renowned for her contributions to Indian cinema, was honored at the 17th National Film Awards, setting a tradition of recognizing outstanding achievers in the film fraternity.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony, organized by the Directorate of Film Festivals, a body operating under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This prestigious accolade comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs.1,000,000 (US$13,000). Recipients are selected through a meticulous process overseen by a committee composed of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry.
The first recipient of Dada Saheb Phalke award was actress Devika Rani who was honored at the 17th National Film Awards. Here is the complete list of Dada Saheb Phalke Award winners since its inception in 1969 to 2023:
| Ceremonial Year | Recipient | Film Industry |
| 1969 (17th) | Devika Rani | Hindi |
| 1970 (18th) | Birendranath Sircar | Bengali |
| 1971 (19th) | Prithviraj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1972 (20th) | Pankaj Mullick | Bengali & Hindi |
| 1973 (21st) | Ruby Myers (Sulochana) | Hindi |
| 1974 (22nd) | Boomireddy Narasimha Reddy | Telugu |
| 1975 (23rd) | Dhirendra Nath Ganguly | Bengali |
| 1976 (24th) | Kanan Devi | Bengali |
| 1977 (25th) | Nitin Bose | Bengali, Hindi |
| 1978 (26th) | Raichand Boral | Bengali, Hindi |
| 1979 (27th) | Sohab Modi | Hindi |
| 1980 (28th) | Paidi Jairaj | Hindi, Telugu |
| 1981 (29th) | Naushad | Hindi |
| 1982 (30th) | L.V. Prasad | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu |
| 1983 (31st) | Durga Khote | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1984 (32nd) | Satyajit Ray | Bengali |
| 1985 (33rd) | V. Shantaram | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1986 (34th) | B. Nagi Reddy | Telugu |
| 1987 (35th) | Raj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1988 (36th) | Ashok Kumar | Hindi |
| 1989 (37th) | Lata Mangeshkar | Hindi, Maratha |
| 1990 (38th) | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Telugu |
| 1991 (39th) | Bhalji Pendharkar | Marathi |
| 1992 (40th) | Bhupen Hazarika | Assamese |
| 1993 (41st) | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Hindi |
| 1994 (42nd) | Dilip Kumar | Hindi |
| 1995 (43rd) | Rajkumar | Kannada |
| 1996 (44th) | Sivaji Ganesan | Tamil |
| 1997 (45th) | Kavi Pradeep | Hindi |
| 1998 (46th) | B.R. Chopra | Hindi |
| 1999 (47th) | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Hindi |
| 2000 (48th) | Asha Bhosle | Hindi, Marathi |
| 2001 (49th) | Yash Chopra | Hindi |
| 2002 (50th) | Dev Anand | Hindi |
| 2003 (51st) | Mrinal Sen | Bengali |
| 2004 (52nd) | Adoor Gopalkrishnan | Malayalam |
| 2005 (53rd) | Shyam Benegal | Hindi |
| 2006 (54th) | Tapan Sinha | Bengali, Hindi |
| 2007 (55th) | Manna Dey | Bengali, Hindi |
| 2008 (56th) | V.K. Murthy | Hindi |
| 2009 (57th) | D. Ramanaidu | Telugu |
| 2010 (58th) | K. Balachander | Tamil, Telugu |
| 2011 (59th) | Soumitra Chatterjee | Bengali |
| 2012 (60th) | Pran | Hindi |
| 2013 (61st) | Gulzar | Hindi |
| 2014 (62nd) | Shashi Kapoor | Hindi |
| 2015 (63rd) | Manoj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 2016 (64th) | Kasinathuni Viswanath | Telugu |
| 2017 (65th) | Vinod Khanna | Hindi |
| 2018 (66th) | Amitabh Bachchan | Hindi |
| 2019 (67th) | Rajnikanth | Tamil |
| 2020 (68th) | Asha Parekh | Hindi |
| 2021 (69th) | Rajnikanth | Tamil |
| 2022 (70th) | Asha Parekh | Hindi |
| 2023 (71st) | Rekha | Hindi |
Every year on December 22, India celebrates National Mathematics Day. This date marks the birth…
In competitive exams like SSC, Defence, State Exams, and Railways, current affairs are crucial. This…
On Saturday, December 21, 2024, several explosive-laden drones, believed to be part of Ukraine's ongoing…
Uttar Pradesh, one of India's most populous states, is known for its rich cultural and…
The 55th GST Council meeting, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, convened ministers from 28…
India participated in the 24th BIMSTEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM), hosted virtually by Thailand on…