Filmfare Award is the most prestigious award ceremony for the artists connected with the glamorous world of Bollywood and Indian film industry. This mega event is held in Mumbai every year and makes up the most awaited juncture of time for the Hindi Film industry. With time, Filmfare Awards have earned the reputation of being the best and the most respected award ceremony in Hindi Cinema. As we look back into the history of the awards, we get to know that it was the brainchild of Filmfare Magazine. The award ceremony was started in the year 1953 and initially, it was known as 'The Clares', after a renowned Filmfare critic - Clare Mendonca.
The first Filmfare Awards function, held on 21 March 1954, comprised of only five awards. These five categories included Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Music Director. For these awards, over 20,000 votes were received by people from all over the country. Held amidst much anticipation, the first Filmfare Awards ceremony saw 'Do Bigha Zameen' receiving the award for the 'Best Film'. Bimal Roy carried off the statuette for 'Best Director', for the same film. The 'Best Music Director Award' went to Naushad, for 'Baiju Bawra'.
Dilip Kumar and Meena Kumari were the first ones to receive the 'Filmfare Best Actor Award' and 'Filmfare Best Actress Award', respectively. While Dilip was awarded for his performance in 'Daag', Meena Kumari received the award for her performance in 'Baiju Bawra'. From then on, Filmfare Awards continued to be organized every year and today, they have gone past their golden anniversary as well. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Black, released in the year 2006, created a record in Filmfare Award, when it bagged 11 awards - the most won by a movie till date.