National Award Winning Directors of India
The winner is given a "Swarna Kamal" (Golden Lotus) certificate and a cash prize of ₹2.5 lakh (US$3,500).Including ties and repeat winners, the DFF has presented a total of 53 Best Direction awards to 34 different directors.
Although Indian cinema produces films in more than twenty languages, the performances of films that have won awards are of nine languages:
1.Bengali (16 awards)
2.Malayalam (13 awards)
3.Hindi (11 awards)
4.Tamil (4 awards)
5.English and Kannada (3 awards each)
6.Marathi (3 awards)
7.Assamese and Punjabi (1 each)
Although Indian cinema produces films in more than twenty languages, the performances of films that have won awards are of nine languages:
1.Bengali (16 awards)
2.Malayalam (13 awards)
3.Hindi (11 awards)
4.Tamil (4 awards)
5.English and Kannada (3 awards each)
6.Marathi (3 awards)
7.Assamese and Punjabi (1 each)
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- Writer
- Composer
- Director
Satyajit Ray was born in Calcutta on May 2, 1921. His father, Late Sukumar Ray was an eminent poet and writer in the history of Bengali literature. In 1940, after receiving his degree in science and economics from Calcutta University, he attended Tagore's Viswa-Bharati University. His first movie Pather Panchali (1955) won several International Awards and set Ray as a world-class director. He died on April twenty-third, 1992.The first recipient was Satyajit Ray, who was honoured at the 15th National Film Awards for directing the Bengali film Chiriyakhana (1967).
Ray is also the most frequent recipient, with 6 wins
1.Chiriyakhana
2.Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
3.Pratidwandi
4.Sonar Kella
5.Jana Aranya
6.Agantuk
Ray won 21 awards for his direction, including seven Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, six Indian National Film Awards, two Silver Bear awards at the Berlin International Film Festival, and two Golden Gate Awards at the San Francisco International Film Festival.
In addition to directing, Ray was a music composer and also wrote the screenplay, lyrics, and dialogues for several films. He won twelve awards for his screenplay writing, including one posthumous award in 1994, one award for his original story idea, seven awards for his dialogues, five awards for his music compositions, and two awards for lyric-writing.
He has won the National Film Award 36 times, the highest in Indian Cinema History.
He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985, and the Legion of Honor by the President of France in 1987.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 1965 and the highest civilian honour, Bharat Ratna, shortly before his death- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Adoor Gopalakrishnan is India's most acclaimed contemporary filmmaker. Born in 1941 in Kerala, a state in south India, he belongs to a family with strong links to the performing arts, especially Kathakali, a highly-stylised form of dance drama. From the age of eight Adoor began acting for the stage, later producing and directing over twenty plays, several written by him. He is the author of two books on the theatre as well as a book on the cinema, "The World of Cinema", for which he won a national award in 1983. In 1962 Adoor enrolled in the Film and Television Institute in Pune and graduated in 1965 with a diploma in Scriptwriting and Direction. The same year he founded the Chitralekha Film Society of Trivandrum as well as the Chitralekha Film Cooperative. Both played a key role in the development of film culture in Kerala. In 1972 Adoor made Swayamvaram/One's Own Choice, his first full-length feature film. It launched the New Cinema in Kerala and became one of the major films of the Indian New Wave. He has since made seven more films (along with over 25 shorts and documentaries), all of which have won major national and international awards: Kodiyettam/Ascent (1977); Elippathayam/Rat Trap (1981); Mukhamukham/Face to Face (1984); Anantaram/Monologue (1987); Mathilukal/The Walls (1990); Vidheyan/The Servile (1993), and Kathapurushan/Man of the Story (1995). Elippathayam received the prestigious British Film Institute Award in 1982; Mukhamukham won the FIPRESCI prize in 1985; Kathapurushan was honoured in India in 1995 with the National Award for Best Film. Retrospectives of Adoor's films have been held in Pesaro, Helsinki, La Rochelle, Nantes, Munich, and New York. All of Adoor's films draw on the history and culture of his native Kerala. Kerala's transition from feudalism to modernity serves as a backdrop to his complex meditations on the psychology of power, the nature of oppression, the corruption of patriarchy, and the coexistence of the modern and the feudal in post-Independence democratic India. Elippathayam, his masterpiece, vividly captures the descent into paranoia of a man trapped within his feudal universe. In Mukhamukham, a study in failed idealism, a Communist leader gives up on revolution and decides to go to sleep instead. Vidheyan, a parable-like story, deals with the abuse of power, the plight of the outsider, and the nature of a master-servant relationship. The more recent films--especially Anantaram, Mathilukal and Kathapurushan--display a new concern with interiority and reflexivity, foregrounding time, memory, consciousness, and the nature of storytelling itself. Adoor's genius lies in his ability to create visually complex films that operate on multiple levels, that are culture-specific and yet universal in significance.Adoor Gopalakrishnan has won 5 awards, which includes his debut Malayalam film Swayamvaram (1972).
1.Kodiyettam
2.Mukhamukham
3.Anantharam
4.Vidheyan
5.Oru Pennum Randaanum
Along with Satyajit Ray and Mrinal Sen, Gopalakrishnan is one of the most recognized Indian film directors in world cinema.
Gopalakrishnan has won the National Film Award 16 times, next only to Ray and Sen. He also won the Kerala State Film Awards 17 times.
He was awarded the State honours Padma Shri in 1984 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2006. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2004 for his valuable contributions to Indian cinema.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Sen is one of his nation's most politically active filmakers. After having studied physics at university in Calcutta, Sen worked as a freelance journalist, a salesman of patent medicines and a sound technician in a film studio. In the mid-1940s he joined the Indian People's Theatre Association and at that time began to read about and study film. The association had links to the Communist Party of India and this heralded the beginning of Sen's involvement with Marxist politics. In 1956 Sen made his debut with Raat Bhore (1956), the first of his 30 (as of 2002) films. Although his first film was openly political, he achieved national status as the director of a comedy, Bhuvan Shome (1969). Influenced by Italian neorealism and the work of fellow countryman Satyajit Ray, Sen used location shooting and non-professional casts in his early films. By the 1970s he was making wider use of symbolism and allegory. Although he remains politically committed, Sen feels that the "difference between party Marxists and a private Marxist like me is that others think they pocketed truth, whereas I am always in search of truth... " Sen's films have won numerous international awards. The Case Is Closed (1982), a scathing look at the hypocritical reaction of a bourgeois Calcutta family to the death of a servant boy, took home the Jury Prize from the 1983 Cannes Film Festival.Mrinal Sen has been awarded 4 times.
He is also the only recipient to win the award for directing films in two different languages: Bengali and Hindi
1.Bhuvan Shome
2.Ek Din Pratidin
3.Akaler Sandhane
4.Khandhar
He has won the National Film Award 18 times, next only to Ray.
The Government of India has awarded him the Padma Bhushan, and the Government of France has awarded him the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, while Russian Government awarded him Order of Friendship.
Sen was also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
He was the only Indian filmmaker along with Satyajit Ray whose films have been awarded at the big three film festivals namely the Cannes film festival, Venice Film Festival and the Berlin Film Festival.- Costume Designer
G. Aravindan is known for Madhyamavyayogam (2013).G.Aravindan has been awarded 3 times.
1.Kanchana Sita
2.Thampu
3.Oridathu
He is the 2nd Director to get in Malayalam.
He has won the National Film Award 7 times. He also won the Kerala State Film Awards 18 times.
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Jayaraj was born on 4 August 1960 in Kottayam, Kerala, India. He is a director and writer, known for Desadanam (1996), Ottaal (2014) and Karunam (2000).Jayaraaj has been awarded 2 times.
1.Kaliyattam
2.Bhayanakam
He is the 5th Director to get in Malayalam.
He is a 7 time recipient of the National Film Award and 5 Kerala State Film Awards.
Jayaraj is a recipient of the Crystal Bear Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Golden Peacock award at the IFFI , the Golden Crow Pheasant award at the IFFK , the FIPRESCI Award from the International Federation of Film Critics, the Don Quijote Award from the International Federation of Film Societies, The Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award and a special mention award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Goutam Ghose was born on 24 July 1950 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a director and writer, known for Paar (1984), Abar Aranye (2003) and Moner Manush (2010).Goutam Ghose has been awarded 2 times.
1.Padma Nadir Majhi
2.Abar Aranye
He is the 4th Director to get in Bengali.
He has won the National Film Award 13 times.
He also won the the National Film Award 3 times for his Documentary.
He has won the International National Film Award 8 times.
He Is the only Indian to have received the "Vittorio Di Sica" Award, Italy, 1997.
In 2012, The Government of West Bengal honoured him with the Banga Bibhushan for lifetime achievement, acknowledging his contributions to film.
He Was awarded the Knighthood of the Star of the Italian Solidarity in July 2006- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Buddhadev Dasgupta was born on 11 February 1944 in Anara, India. He was a director and writer, known for Uttara (2000), Dooratwa (1979) and Charachar (1994). He died on 10 June 2021 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Buddhadev Dasgupta has been awarded 2 times.
1.Uttara
2.Swapner Din
He is the 5th Director to get in Bengali.
He has won the National Film Award 11 times.
He has won the International National Film Award 6 times.
Buddhadeb Dasgupta was honoured with the lifetime achievement award at the Spain International Film Festival in Madrid on 27 May 2008.
He also received Golden Athena Award at the Athens International Film Festival in 2007- Writer
- Director
- Music Department
Rituparno Ghosh is a Bengali film director. He has won 12 National Film Awards in India and several awards at international film festivals abroad. He began directing in advertising. In 1992, he made a low-key film debut with a children's feature titled Hirer Angti (The Diamond Ring). His second movie Unishe April (19 April), won the 1995 National Film Award Since then, Ghosh has directed Dahan, Utsab, Chokher Bali, Asukh, Bariwali, Antarmahal and Raincoat (in Hindi). He won the National Award for best direction for his bengali film "Abohoman" starring Jishu Sengupta, Ananya Chatterjee, Dipankar Dey and Mamata Shankar in India in 2010.Rituparno Ghosh has been awarded 2 times.
1.Utsab
2.Abohoman
He is the 6th Director to get in Bengali.
He has won the National Film Award 12 times.
He has won the International National Film Award 3 times.
His unreleased Bengali movie Sunglass (also known as Taak Jhaank) was honoured and released at the 19th Kolkata International Film Festival.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Aparna Sen is a renowned name in Bengali as well as Indian cinema. She has excelled both as an actor in film and theatre and as a director of parallel cinema.
Aparna was born in 1945 in Kolkata. Her father is film critic and film maker Late Chidananda Das Gupta. She studied at Modern High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Presidency College, Kolkata. Her first film appearance happened in Satyajit Ray's Three Daughters (1961) when she was sixteen. Since then, Aparna has acted in many films in lead roles.
In 1981, Aparna made her debut as a film director with 36 Chowringhee Lane (1981) which won national and international awards. Since then, Aparna has directed series of films on a wide variety of subjects. Most of her films have been well acclaimed nationally and internationally. Aparna moved to Mumbai and continues to make films in Hindi and English.
Aparna acted in little theatre groups and commercial theatres for a period of time. She was also editor of a popular Bengali magazine (Sananda) for long time.Aparna Sen has been awarded 2 times.
Aparna Sen is the only woman director honored by this award.
She is the 1st Director to get in English.
She got her 2nd one also in English.
1.36 Chowringhee Lane
2.Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
She has won the National Film Award 9 times.
She has won the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1987.- Composer
- Director
- Actor
B.V. Karanth was born on 19 September 1929 in Manchi, Karnataka, India. He was a composer and director, known for Godhuli (1977), Vamsha Vriksha (1971) and Chomana Dudi (1975). He was married to Prema Karanth. He died on 1 September 2002 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.At the 19th National Film Awards, Girish Karnad and B.V. Karanth shared the award for co-directing the Kannada film Vamsha Vriksha (1972).
He is the 1st Director to get in Kannada.
National Film Awards
1971 – National Film Award for Best Direction – Vamsha Vriksha
1971 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada – Vamsha Vriksha
1975 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film – Chomana Dudi
1976 – National Film Award for Best Music Direction: Rishya Shrunga
1977 – National Film Award for Best Music Direction: Ghatashraddha
1977 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada– Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane
He has won the National Film Award 6 times
He has won 4 Karnataka State Film Awards and 2 Filmfare Awards South.
The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 1981- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Girish Karnad was born on 19th May 1938 in Matheran, Maharashtra. He is acclaimed for his contemporary playwrights in Kannada. He is also an actor, director and screen writer. He was conferred Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan by the Government of India and won four Filmfare Awards where three are Filmfare Award for Best Director - Kannada and one Filmfare Best Screenplay Award.At the 19th National Film Awards, Girish Karnad and B.V. Karanth shared the award for co-directing the Kannada film Vamsha Vriksha (1972).
He is the 2nd Director to get in Kannada.
National Film Awards
1971: Best Direction: Vamsha Vriksha (with B. V. Karanth)
1971: Best Feature Film in Kannada: Vamsha Vriksha
1973: Second Best Feature Film: Kaadu
1977: Best Feature Film in Kannada: Tabbaliyu Neenade Magane[18][19]
1978: Best Screenplay: Bhumika (with Shyam Benegal and Satyadev Dubey)
1978: Best Feature Film in Kannada: Ondanondu Kaladalli
1989: Best Non-Feature Film: Kanaka Purandara
1990: Best Non-feature Film on Social Issues: The Lamp in the Niche
1992: Best Film on Environment Conservation: Cheluvi
1999: Best Feature Film in Kannada: Kaanuru Heggadathi
He has won the National Film Award 10 times
He has won 6 Karnataka State Film Awards , 4 Filmfare Awards South and 3 Filmfare Awards Hindi.
He was conferred Padma Shri in 1974 and Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Government of India- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Mani Kaul was born on 25 December 1944 in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. He was a director and writer, known for Duvidha (1973), Naukar Ki Kameez (1999) and Uski Roti (1970). He died on 6 July 2011 in New Delhi, India.He is the 2nd Director to get in Hindi.
He won the National Film Award for Best Direction in 1974 for Duvidha and later the National Film Award for his documentary film Siddheshwari in 1989.
Starting his career with Uski Roti (1969), which won him the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie, he went on to win four of them in all.
Mani Kaul won Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie four times.
1971: Uski Roti (1970)
1972: Ashad Ka Ek Din (1971)
1974: Duvidha (1973)
1993: Idiot (1992)- Writer
- Director
- Music Department
P. Lankesh was born in 1935 in Shimoga District, Karnataka, India. He is a writer and director, known for Pallavi (1976), Anurupa (1977) and Khandavideko Mamsavideko (1979).He is the 3rd Director to get in Kannada.
National Award for Best Direction for Pallavi. (1976)
Other Awards
Sahitya Akademi Award for Kallu Karaguva Samaya Mattu Ithara Kathegalu (1993).
Karnataka Sahitya Akademi Honorary Award (1986).
B.H. Shridhara Prashasti.
Karnataka Rajya Nataka Akademi Prashasti.
Aryabhata Sahitya Prashasti.
Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada for Ellindalo Bandavaru - 1980- Director
- Writer
- Composer
Utpalendu Chakrabarty was born in 1948 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. Utpalendu is a director and writer, known for Chokh (1983), Post Mortem (1980) and Chandaneer (1989). Utpalendu is married to Satarupa Sanyal. They have two children.He is the 3rd Director to get in Bengali.
Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 28th National Film Awards in 1980 for Maina Tadanta
National Film Award for Best Feature Film at the 30th National Film Awards in 1982 for Chokh
National Film Award for Best Direction at the 30th National Film Awards in 1982 for Chokh
Berlin International Film Festival OCIC Award in 1983 for Chokh
National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film at the 32nd National Film Awards in 1984 for Music of Satyajit Ray.
He has won the National Film Award 4 times- Cinematographer
- Director
- Writer
Shaji Neelakantan Karun was born on new years day 1950 as the eldest son of Mr. N. Karunakaran and Mrs. Chandramati in Kollam district of the state of Kerala, India. The family moved to Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of the state in 1963. He did his schooling in Palkkulangara H.S., and took a batchelor's degree from University College, Thiruvananthapuram. In 1971 he entered the Filim and Television Institute of India where he took his diploma in Cinematography. He won the President's medal on passing out in 1975. Got married to Anasuya Warrier, who incidentally was his neighbour in Trivandrum for quite some time again on New years day 1975. After a brief stint in the south Indian city of Madras, he returned to Thiruvananthapuram in 1976 where he got an appoinment as film officer in the newly formed state Film Development Corporation. His first son Anil was born on 19 June 1976. His association with the legendary malayalam film maker, G.Aravindan Began at this time and it led to Shaji defining a new outlook in cinematography in Malayalam cinema. His second son Appu was born on 6 June 1981. He made his first major carrer shift in 1988 wher he directed his first feature, Piravi, which received much critical acclaim worldwide. In 1994 he completed his second film Swaham.He is the 3rd Director to get in Malayalam.
National Film Awards:
2009 – Best Film – Kutty Srank
1999 – Best Film – Vanaprastham
1997 – Best Non-Feature Film – Sham's Vision (English)
1994 – Special Jury Award – Swaham
1988 – Best Film – (Producer) Piravi
1988 – Best Director – Piravi
1979 – Best Cinematographer (Black & White) – Thampu
He has won the National Film Award 7 times. He also won the Kerala State Film Awards 7 times.- Director
- Writer
- Composer
Born in 1924. Science graduate from University of Calcutta. Sinha began his film career as a sound engineer in Calcutta's New Theatre in 1946. Four years later, he received an invitation to the London film festival and the opportunity of working at Pinewood Studios. He was in the UK for two years. On returning to India, he turned his attentions to film directing. Tapan Sinha was influenced by American and British film making. Tagore was a great source of inspiration to him. He made three films on Tagore's stories: Kabuliwala, Hungry Stones (Khudito Pashan), Atithi.
Tapan Sinha's first film Ankush was based on Narayan Gangopadhyay's story 'sainik'. In 1957, his film 'Kabuliwala' was shown in Berlin Film festival. He has won National award many times. His films were shown in different film festivals all over the world. He was married to actress Arundhuti who passed away in 1990. Sinha lives in Calcutta.He is the 3rd Director to get in Hindi.
National Film Awards
1956: National Film Award for Best Feature Film – Kabuliwala[9]
1956: National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali – Kabuliwala[9]
1957: National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali – Louha-Kapat[10]
1960: National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film – Kshudhita Pashan[11]
1965: National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film – Atithi
1967: National Film Award for Best Feature Film- Hatey Bazarey
1968: National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Bengali- Apanjan
1971: Best Screenplay – Ekhonee
1977: National Film Award for Best Children's Film - Safed Haathi
1984: Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Aadmi Aur Aurat
1990: Best Direction – Ek Doctor Ki Maut
1990: National Film Award for Second Best Feature Film- Ek Doctor Ki Maut
1994: National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues- Wheelchair
He has won the National Film Award 13 times.
He also won the International Awards 14 times.
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1992.
He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2006- Director
- Writer
- Actor
T.V. Chandran was born on 23 November 1950 in Thalassery, Kerala, India. He is a director and writer, known for Dany (2002), Susanna (2000) and Ponthan Mada (1994).He is the 4th Director to get in Malayalam.
National Film Awards
1993 - National Film Award for Best Director : Ponthan Mada
1995 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Ormakal Undayirikkanam
1997 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Mangamma
2001 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam: Dany
2003 - National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare : Paadam Onnu: Oru Vilapam
2005 - National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil : Aadum Koothu
Chandran has won 6 National Film Awards and 10 Kerala State Film Awards.
In addition to these, he is a recipient of a number of awards at various International film festivals.
Chandran came into prominence after Alicinte Anveshanam (1989), which was nominated for the Golden Leopard at the Locarno International Film Festival. This was followed with Ponthan Mada (1993), his most famous film to-date
He is also known for his trilogy on 2002 Gujarat riots, consisting of Kathavasheshan (2004), Vilapangalkappuram (2008) and Bhoomiyude Avakashikal (2012).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Twelve times National Award winner Jahnu Barua is a well known film maker from India who has made 15 feature films so far. His films have won over 20 international awards including Silver Leopard at Locarno International Film Festival.
Hailing from Assam, Jahnu made 13 of his films in his native language Assamese which brought Assamese cinema and culture to the national and international map. Jahnu's first film in Hindi is Maine Gandhi Ko Nahi Maha (I did not kill Gandhi) that has been critically acclaimed worldwide. He has just competed shooting of an Assemese film " Broken Window" in 2017, which is in post production.
He is working on a major English project titled "Homing Pigeons " set in UK and Assam.
An other international film in development is " Unread Pages" which is already announced .
Graduated in Film Direction form Film & Television Institute of India Jahnu is the Board member of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute of India, Calcutta. He also teaches cinema as guest professor in these two prestigious National film Institutions, whenever he can spare time. He was jury member to many International Film Festivals and headed a few of them.He is the 1st Director to get in Assamese.
National Film Awards
2013: Best Feature Film in Assamese: Ajeyo
2012: Best Feature Film in Assamese: Baandhon
2003: Best Regional Film for Konikar Ramdhenu
2003: National Film Award for Best Children's Film for Tora
1999: Best Regional Film for Pokhi
1998: Best Regional Film for Kuhkhal
1995: Best Director for Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door
1995: Best Regional Film for Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door
1992: Second Best Feature Film for Firingoti
1990: Best film on Environment for Bonani
1987: Best Film for Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai
1983: Best Regional Film for Aparoopa
He has won 12 National Film Awards and 10 International Film Festival Awards.
Jahnu Barua has been conferred Padma Shri (2003) and Padma Bhushan (2015).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Saeed Akhtar Mirza was born on 30 June 1943 in Bombay, Bombay Presidency, British India. He is a director and writer, known for Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyon Ata Hai (1980), Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978) and Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro (1989). He is married to Jennifer Mirza.He is the 5th Director to get in Hindi.
1984 National Film Award for Best Film on Family Welfare: Mohan Joshi Hazir Ho! (1984)
1996 National Film Award for Best Direction: Naseem
1996 National Film Award for Best Screenplay: Naseem (1995)
Filmfare Awards
1979 Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie: Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978)
1981 Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie: Albert Pinto Ko Gussa Kyoon Aata Hai (1980)
Saeed Mirza Was Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award at ICA - International Cultural Artifact Film Festival in 2020.
He has won 3 National Film Awards and 2 Filmfare Awards- He is credited to be the first director of Tamil cinema to win the National Film Award for Best Direction
National Film Awards
1997 – Best Direction – Kadhal Kottai
1997 – Best Screenplay – Kadhal Kottai
1997 – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil – Kadhal Kottai
Filmfare Awards South
1997 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
1996 – Best Director – Kadhal Kottai
He has won 3 National Film Awards and 2 Filmfare Awards South. - Director
- Producer
- Writer
Shyam Benegal was born on 14 December 1934 in Tirumalagiri, Hyderabad State, British India. He is a director and producer, known for Ankur: The Seedling (1974), Bhumika (1977) and Trikal (Past, Present, Future) (1985). He is married to Nira Benegal.He is the 4th Director to get in Hindi.
1975 - Ankur - Second Best Feature Film
1976 - Nishant - Best Feature Film in Hindi
1977 - Manthan - Best Feature Film in Hindi
1978 - Bhumika - Best Screenplay
1979 - Junoon - Best Feature Film in Hindi
1982 - Arohan - Best Feature Film in Hindi
2005 - Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten - Best Feature Film on National Integration
2009 - Well Done Abba - Best Film on Other Social Issues
He has won the National Film Award in Hindi 7 times.
He has received 4 nomination in International Film Festival.
Benegal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1976 and the Padma Bhushan in 1991.
On 8 August 2007, Benegal was awarded the highest award in Indian cinema for lifetime achievement, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2005.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
He is the 6th Director to get in Malayalam.
In 1999, his film Janani, exploring maternity was premiered in Oslo, Norway and won him the National Film Award for Best Direction.
He won Kerala State Film Award for Best Director for Thanal.
In 2006, he planned a biopic of Mother Teresa and reportedly considered socialite Paris Hilton for the lead role. He also suggested that his industry friends such as Mohanlal and Kamal Haasan along with Mithun Chaakraborty would play roles in the project. The news created a furore prompting him to clarify that Hilton won't be playing Mother Teresa. However, the film was never made.
His made Hindi film Anubhav: An Actor's Tale (2009), written by Anoop Menon who had also written Pakal Nakshatrangal.- Editor
- Editorial Department
- Director
He is the 2nd Director to get in Tamil.
National Film Awards
1992 – Knock-Out – Best First Non-Feature Film of a Director (Also producer)
1994 – Kaadhalan – Best Editing (shared with V. T. Vijayan)
1995 – Kutravali and Oodaha – Best Non-Feature Film Editing (shared with V. T. Vijayan)
2001 – Ooruku Nooruper – National Film Award for Best Direction
2001 – Ooruku Nooruper – National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil
Tamil Nadu State Film Awards
1988 – Best Editor
1994 – Best Editor – Kaadhalan
2010 – Best Editor – Namma Gramam
Kerala State Film Awards
1990 – Best Editor
1993 – Best Editor – Sopanam
He has won 5 National Film Awards 3Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and 2 Kerala State Film Awards.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Rahul Dholakia was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. He is known for Raees (2017), Parzania (2005) and Lamhaa: The Untold Story of Kashmir (2010).He is the 3rd Director to get in English.
He won the National Film Award-winning film, Parzania (Heaven & Hell On Earth) (2005).
He also made documentaries like Teenage Parents and New York Taxi Drivers.
He also won Screen Awards 2008 for Parzania (Heaven & Hell On Earth) (2005).- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Madhur Bhandarkar was born on 26 August 1966 in Bombay, Maharashtra, India. He is a director and writer, known for Chandni Bar (2001), Babli Bouncer (2022) and Page 3 (2005). He has been married to Renu Namboodiri since 15 December 2003. They have one child.He is the 6th Director to get in Hindi.
The drama film Chandni Bar (2001), won him the National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues.
Bhandarkar received the National Film Awards for the Best Feature Film and Best Director for Page 3 (2005) and Traffic Signal (2007) respectively.
The drama film Fashion (2008) garnered him several accolades including National Film Award, Filmfare Awards nominations for Best Director and Best Screenplay.
He has won the National Film Award in Hindi 4 times.
In 2016, Bhandarkar was honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian honour, by the Government of India.
He also received the Bharat Gaurav award at the UN hall in New York.
Recently, in 2019, Madhur received an award from Filmfare Middle East, Muscat, for his path breaking direction in Indian cinema.- Producer
- Writer
- Director
Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. Vetrimaaran made his directorial debut with the Polladhavan. His second feature film Aadukalam won six National Film Awards. He produces films under his production company, Grass Root Film Company. His movie Visaranai (2016) was selected as India's official entry to the Academy Awards.His film Asuran (2019) was named as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.He is the 4th Director to get in Tamil.
His second feature film Aadukalam (2011) won six National Film Awards.
His film Asuran (2019) was named as the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.
He has won 5 National Film Awards and 2 Filmfare Award South.- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Gurvinder Singh is an Indian film director. He is best known for his Punjabi language films Anhe Ghore Da Daan, and Chauthi Koot (The Fourth Direction) which premiered at Venice and Cannes Film Festival respectively. In 2016, he was invited by a Turkish production house to direct a short film 'Infiltrator' (16 mins) as part of an international anthology of ten short films from ten countries, titled "In The Same Garden". The anthology premiered at the Sarajevo Film Festival in 2016. He made an experimental film based on the short stories of the Colombian writer Garbriel Garcia Marquez as part of a workshop with the students of acting at the FTII. The film titled 'Sea of Lost Time' (45 mins) premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival in 2019.He is the 1st Director to get in Punjabi.
National Film Awards
2011 - Best Direction for Anhe Ghore Da Daan
2011 - Best Feature Film in Punjabi for Anhe Ghore Da Daan; shared with NFDC (producer)
2015 - Best Feature Film in Punjabi for Chauthi Koot; shared with NFDC & Kartikeya Singh (producers)
Other Awards
2011- Special Jury Award for Anhe Ghore Da Daan, Abu Dhabi Film Festival
2012 - Golden Peacock for Best Film for Anhe Ghore Da Daan, International Film Festival of India
2012 - Best Film for Anhe Ghore Da Daan, Imagine India Film Festival, Madrid
2012 - Paris Project Award at the 10th Hong Kong – Asia Film Financing Forum for Chauthi Koot. Shared with Flowing Stories directed by Tsang Tsui-shan.[14]
2015 - Golden Gateway for Chauthi Koot, MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
2015 - Grand Prix for Chauthi Koot, Belgrade Auteur Film Festival[15]
2015 - Silver Screen Award for Best Asian Film for Chauthi Koot, Singapore International Film Festival
His Punjabi language films Anhe Ghore Da Daan, and Chauthi Koot (The Fourth Direction) which premiered at Venice and Cannes Film Festival respectively
He has won 3 National Film Awards and 8 International Awards- Director
- Actor
- Writer
He is the 1st Director to get in Marathi.
He received the 60th National Award for Best Director for his Marathi film Dhag.
His film 31st October received positive feedback at its screening at the July 2015 London Indian Film Festival.- Writer
- Director
- Producer
Hansal Mehta is a film director best known for Shahid (2013), Citylights (2014), Aligarh (2016), Omertà (2018) and Scam 1992 (2020). He is known for films that depict social and political realities in deeply polarised and troubled times. His films are remarkable for their understanding of characters and their worlds, while telling important stories. His films Shahid (2013) and Omertà(2018) premiered as official selections at different editions of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Aligarh (2016) a moving tale about a professor suspended by university for being gay premiered at the BFI London Film Festival in 2015. His films have traveled to festivals around the world and have been extensively written about and discussed in both international and local forums. He won the National Award for Best Direction in 2014 for his film Shahid.He is the 7th Director to get in Hindi.
He is best known for Shahid (2013) for which he won the National Film Award for Best Direction.- Director
- Writer
- Actor
Srijit Mukherji was born on 23 September 1977 in Calcutta, West Bengal, India. He is a director and writer, known for Vinci Da (2019), Ek Je Chhilo Raja (2018) and Chotushkone (2014). He has been married to Rafiath Rashid Mithila since 6 December 2019.He is the 7th Director to get in Bengali.
His fifth film, Jaatishwar, won four national awards at India's 61st National Film Awards (2014).
He won the National Film Award for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for his sixth film, Chotushkone, at India's 62nd National Film Awards.
His 2018 release Ek Je Chhilo Raja won the 'Best Bengali Film' Award at India's 66th National Film Awards.
His 2019 film Gumnaami won him the Best Bengali Film and Best Adapted Screenplay Awards at the 67th National Film Awards
He has won the National Film Award 6 times.- Producer
- Editor
- Writer
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is among the most celebrated Film Makers of the Bollywood. Having worked with the biggest stars of Indian Film Industry, Bhansali is the most sought-for director of the Bollywood. He started his career as an assistant director to Vidhu Vinod Chopra. If one has to name his 'niche' genre, it would definitely be Mega-Musicals. From Devdas to Bajirao Mastani, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam to Saawariya, love of cinema and music, proclaims through every movie he writes or direct.
His 1999 Romantic-Drama, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, starring heartthrob duo Salman-Aishwarya became one of the most critically cherished movies of the Genre. Amitabh Bachan, starrer Black was equally appreciated by the critics. But he made his presence felt with 2002 adaptation of the Hindi literary masterpiece, Devdas, for a silver-screen experience. He received a nomination for Best Foreign Film at BAFTA for the movie.
Devdas has become a name synonymous with a passionate, intense love that does not find consummation. This similar theme has been repeated numerous time in the literary work. And one of them is Romeo & Juliet. He translated this classic tale into Indian Folk Idiom.He is the 8th Director to get in Hindi.
National Film Awards
2002 Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Devdas
2005 Best Feature Film in Hindi Black
2014 Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment Mary kom
2015 Best Director Bajirao Mastani
2018 Best Music Director Padmaavat
He is the recipient of several awards, including 4 National Film Awards, 10 Filmfare Awards and a BAFTA nomination.
In 2015, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Rajesh Mapuskar was born on 26 September 1968 in Maharashtra, India. He is a producer and director, known for Ventilator (2016), Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012) and 3 Idiots (2009).He is the 2nd Director to get in Marathi.
He directed the acclaimed Marathi language film Ventilator (2016), which won him several accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Director.- Writer
- Producer
- Music Department
Born in Delhi Aditya is a writer, director and lyricist. His directorial debut feature film Uri: The Surgical Strike, starring Vicky Kaushal produced by RSVP Films, was a smashing success making over Rs. 200 Cr in box office collections. The critically acclaimed film was widely appreciated by the audience throughout the country and it is one of the top-rated movies on IMDb. Aditya has been associated in the past with films like Kabul Express, Tezz, Aakrosh, Haal-e-Dil among others in different capacities like dialogue writer, screenplay writer and lyrics writer.He is the 9th Director to get in Hindi.
He made his directorial debut with Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019), which was based on the 2016 Uri attack. He won the best director award for this film at the 66th National Film Awards in 2019.- Writer
- Director
- Editor
Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan was born on 8 October 1975 in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, India. He is a writer and director, known for '83 (2021), Lahore (2010) and 72 Hoorain (2019).The most recent recipient is Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, who was honoured at the 67th National Film Awards for directing the Hindi film Baahattar Hoorain (2019).
He is the 10th Director to get in Hindi.
He won the Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director at the 2009 National Film Award for Lahore.
In 2021, he won the National Film Award for Best Direction for the film Bahattar Hoorain.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Nikhil Mahajan is a National Award Winning Filmmaker based in Mumbai, India. He is a graduate in film from The International Film School Sydney. Nikhil is a writer, producer and director. Pune 52 (2012) is his directorial debut. He is known for his Godavari (2021) which won him the prestigious Golden Lotus for Best Direction as well as the Filmfare award for Best Direction and Best Screenplay. Nikhil comes from the small town Aurangabad in Maharashtra and his parents are both Academicians.Ace filmmaker Nikhil Mahajan who has bagged prestigious awards at several film festivals for his last released Marathi film 'Godavari' in 2022