The National Film Awards are one of the oldest and prominent Indian award ceremony established in 1954. Since 1973, the award ceremonies are administrated by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals. The country's most prestigious film awards are held every year in New Delhi and the awards are presented by the President of India to the winners for the year. The Best Film Award is one of the sub-categories of the Golden Lotus Award. The winners are honored with a cash prize of Rs.1, 00,000 and a Swarna Kamal (golden lotus). The awards for the ‘Best Film’ were introduced in 1954 and the award was presented to the film ‘Shyamchi Aai’ directed by P.K.Atre. The movie is based on the book written by the famous author and social activist, Sane Guruji. ‘Shyamachi Aai’ is considered as one of the greatest tributes to a mother’s love in Marathi literature.
Golden Lotus Award Winners For Best Film Are:
|
Year
|
Film
|
Language
|
Director
|
|
2009
|
Antaheen
|
Bengali
|
Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
|
|
2008
|
Kanchivaram
|
Tamil
|
Priyadarshan
|
|
2007
|
Pulijanmam
|
Malayalam
|
Priyanandan
|
|
2006
|
Kaalpurush – Memories in the Mist
|
Bengali
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
|
2005
|
Page 3
|
Hindi/English
|
Madhur Bhandarkar
|
|
2004
|
Shwaas
|
Marathi
|
Sandeep Sawant
|
|
2003
|
Mondo Meyer Upakhyan
|
Bengali
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
|
2002
|
Dweepa
|
Kannada
|
Girish Kasaravalli
|
|
2001
|
Shantham
|
Malayalam
|
Jayaraaj
|
|
2000
|
Vaanaprastham
|
Malayalam (France/India/Germany)
|
Shaji N. Karun
|
|
1999
|
Samar
|
Hindi
|
Shyam Benegal
|
|
1998
|
Thaayi Saheba
|
Kannada
|
Girish Kasaravalli
|
|
1997
|
Lal Darja
|
Bengali
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
|
1996
|
Kathapurushan
|
Malayalam (India/Japan)
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
|
1995
|
Unishe April
|
Bengali
|
Rituparno Ghosh
|
|
1994
|
Charachar
|
Bengali
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
|
1993
|
Bhagwat Geeta
|
Sanskrit
|
G V Iyer
|
|
1992
|
Agantuk
|
Bengali (France/India)
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1991
|
Marupakkam
|
Tamil
|
K.S. Sethumadhavan
|
|
1990
|
Bagh Bahadur
|
Hindi/Bengali
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
|
1989
|
Piravi
|
Malayalam
|
Shaji N. Karun
|
|
1988
|
Halodhia Choraye Baodhan Khai
|
Assamese
|
Jahnu Barua
|
|
1987
|
Tabarana Kathe
|
Kannada
|
Girish Kasaravalli
|
|
1986
|
Chidambaram
|
Malayalam
|
Govindan Aravindan
|
|
1985
|
Damul
|
Hindi
|
Prakash Jha
|
|
1984
|
Adi Shankaracharya
|
Sanskrit
|
G V Iyer
|
|
1983
|
Chokh
|
Bengali
|
Utpalendu Chakrabarty
|
|
1982
|
Dakhal
|
Bengali
|
Gautam Ghose
|
|
1981
|
Akaler Sandhane
|
Bengali
|
Mrinal Sen
|
|
1980
|
Shodh
|
Hindi
|
Biplab Roy Choudhary
|
|
1979
|
no award
|
-
|
-
|
|
1978
|
Ghatashraddha
|
Kannada
|
Girish Kasaravalli
|
|
1977
|
Mrigayaa
|
Hindi
|
Mrinal Sen
|
|
1976
|
Chomana Dudi
|
Kannada
|
B.V. Karanth
|
|
1975
|
Chorus
|
Hindi/Bengali
|
Mrinal Sen
|
|
1974
|
Nirmalyam
|
Malayalam
|
M.T. Vasudevan Nair
|
|
1973
|
Swayamvaram
|
Malayalam
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
|
1972
|
Seemabaddha
|
Bengali
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1971
|
Samskara
|
Kannada
|
Pattabhi Rama Reddy
|
|
1970
|
Bhuvan Shome
|
Hindi
|
Mrinal Sen
|
|
1969
|
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
|
Bengali
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1968
|
Hatey Bazarey
|
Bengali/Hindi
|
Tapan Sinha
|
|
1967
|
Teesri Kasam
|
Hindi
|
Basu Bhattacharya
|
|
1966
|
Chemmeen
|
Malayalam
|
Ramu Kariat
|
|
1965
|
Charulata
|
Bengali
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1964
|
Shehar Aur Sapna
|
Hindi
|
Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
|
|
1963
|
Dada Thakur
|
Bengali
|
Sudhir Mukherjee
|
|
1962
|
Bhagini Nivedita
|
Bengali
|
Bijoy Bose
|
|
1961
|
Anuradha
|
Hindi
|
Hrishikesh Mukherjee
|
|
1960
|
Apur Sansar
|
Bengali
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1959
|
Sagar Sangamey
|
Bengali
|
Debaki Bose
|
|
1958
|
Do Aankhen Barah Haath
|
Hindi
|
V. Shantaram
|
|
1957
|
Kabuliwala
|
Bengali
|
Tapan Sinha
|
|
1956
|
Pather Panchali
|
Bengali
|
Satyajit Ray
|
|
1955
|
Mirza Ghalib
|
Hindi
|
Sohrab Modi
|
|
1954
|
Shyamchi Aai
|
Marathi
|
P.K.Atre
|