Dada Saheb Phalke Awards - 1969

Introduction

India is a vast country with many cinematic industries, from Bollywood to Tollywood.

Multiple awards ceremonies are organised throughout the year to recognise the notable films of India. National Film Awards is the most prestigious among the annual award ceremonies held across the country.

Most film award ceremonies in India are organised by private organisations. However, the National Film Awards ceremony is organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals every year.

The Directorate of Film Festivals is a government department established by the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The Directorate of Film Festivals initiates National Film Awards and many other ceremonies.

Dada Saheb Phalke Award is the most prestigious when discussing the National Film Awards.

It is the highest award one could get for their work in Indian cinema and is annually presented to the deserving candidate at the National Film Awards.

The Award is given to individuals for their outstanding work and contribution to Indian cinema at the National Film Awards.

Dada Saheb Phalke Award comes with a cash prize of INR 10 lakhs. Also, the winner gets a medal with a carving of Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal) on it.

A shawl is also presented to the Dada Saheb Phalke Award winner annually. Since it is the highest award in Indian cinema, the winners make headlines every year.

Actors all around the country take pride in winning the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.

There are no restrictions that personalities from a specific film industry can only win the award. Over the years, personalities from Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam, and many other film industries have won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award.

It is crucial to note that Dada Saheb Phalke Award is not offered for any particular film released in the past year. It is an award to recognise a lifetime contribution to the Indian film industry.

For instance, in 2023, Rekha won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.

Similarly, Hariharan won the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contribution to the Indian music industry.

Read on to understand more about Dada Saheb Phalke Awards.

Table of Contents

• Details
• History
• Theme
• Registration
• Celebrities
• Schedule
• Conclusion

Details

History 

Raja Harishchandra was an epic Indian film released in 1913. It still makes headlines as the first feature released in the country. Dadasaheb Phalke shot this silent film over six months.

The film went on to become a leapfrog in Indian cinema. Dadasaheb Phalke became one of the country's most respected producers and directors at that time.

The film showed the sacrifices made by King Harishchandra to keep his promise. The great filmmaker Dadasaheb Phalke left us in 1944.

To honour his legacy, the then government thought of dedicating a national award in his name. Ex-PM Jawahar Lal Nehru suggested the idea of dedicating a national award in the name of Dadasaheb Phalke.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was responsible for organising Dadasaheb Phalke Award annually.

The award was added to the National Film Awards ceremony and given for the first time in 1969. Devika Rani, an iconic Indian actress from the 1930s and 40s, was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the first time.

The first four Dadasaheb Phalke Awards were presented during the National Film Awards by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Since the fifth Dada Saheb Phalke Awards (National Film Awards 1973), the ministry formed the Directorate of Film Festivals to organise the ceremony. In 1973, people were witnessing the 21st National Film Awards (NFA).

The National Film Awards have a longer history than the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards.

The Dada Saheb Phalke Awards was added first to the 17th National Film Awards in 1969. Many personalities in Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese film industries have been awarded over the years.

Iconic film personalities like Raj Kapoor, Asha Bhosle, Yash Chopra, Lata Mangeshkar, and Shashi Kapoor have won the award over the years.

Since songs are an essential part of Indian cinema, many singers have also been awarded over the years.

Personalities with notable lifetime contributions to Indian cinema are chosen for the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards. Only two actors have been given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award posthumously to date.

Besides being the highest honour in Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke Award also has a long history.

Theme

The theme for Dadasaheb Phalke Award has been the same for many years. There is no particular theme attached to the award every year.

Named in respect of iconic filmmaker Dhundiraj Govind (Dadasaheb Phalke), the award is given to someone with an immense contribution to Indian cinema.

Actors, producers, directors, or singers who have made lifetime contributions win this award.

The central theme is respecting and promoting individuals who have contributed outstandingly to Indian cinema. National Film Awards also have had a fixed theme for many years.

Its theme is to recognise the best personalities in Indian cinema. NFA also works as a platform to promote diversity in Indian cinema.

India also promotes its cinema heritage to other countries with the help of the National Film Awards. The Dada Saheb Phalke Awards are among the many awards distributed during the National Film Awards yearly.

However, it is considered the highest honour one can get for his contributions to Indian cinema.  

Registration

The awards is distributed during the National Film Awards in India. NFA is not a public event ceremony in India.

However, National Film Awards are broadcast on different channels and streaming platforms yearly. NFA is an invite-only event hosted by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

Award winners, prominent film personalities, dignitaries, and government officials attend the National Film Awards.

The awards are usually hosted in New Delhi every year by the ministry. Venues like Rashtrapati Bhawan, Siri Fort Auditorium, and Vigyan Bhawan are chosen for Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Since the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards ceremony is not an open event, you cannot buy tickets to attend it.

However, the common public can witness the ceremony on several channels and streaming platforms. People around the world can watch National Film Awards on different channels.

Since NFA is a platform to promote Indian cinema, the awards are broadcasted in numerous countries.

If you are willing to witness an award show live, many other Indian cinema award ceremonies can give you the opportunity.

Also, one cannot register to win the award. It is given based on the decision of a jury appointed by the Directorate of Film Festivals. Common people cannot vote to choose the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards winner for the year. 

Celebrities

National Film Awards is a prestigious ceremony to recognise personalities in Indian cinema. The country's President is supposed to give the Dadasaheb Phalke Award every year.

Over the years, many presidents and iconic film personalities have attended the award ceremony.

Some celebrities at the recent editions of the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards are as follows:

• Varun Dhawan

He is a popular actor known for his films like Badlapur, Student of the Year, Bhediya, and Street Dancer 3D. Varun Dhawan attended the NFA 2023 and won the Critics Best Actor for his performance in the movie Bhediya. 

• Rekha

She is one of the iconic actresses who has worked in both the 20th and 21st centuries. She was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2023 for her lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

• Alia Bhatt

Alia Bhatt is a popular actress known for her roles in Highway, Udta Punjab, RRR, Raazi, and Dear Zindagi. She attended the recent National Film Awards and won Best Actress for her role in Gangubai Kathiawadi.

• Rajinikanth

He is among the most iconic film personalities in all parts of India. In 2021, he received Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2019. Rajinikanth has also been awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in the past for his contribution to Indian cinema.

• Amitabh Bachchan:

From “Angry Young Man” to “Megastar Big B”, Amitabh Bachchan has come a long way. He has been among the most-respected personalities in Indian cinema for many years. He received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2018 for contributing to more than 200 films in different languages.

Schedule

Play

The recent National Film Awards was organised on the 20th of February 2023. It was broadcasted live on the Zee5 streaming platform from 7 PM on the 20th of February 2023.

Some TV channels also broadcasted the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards in India. The organisers notify the public in advance regarding the time and date of the ceremony.

Conclusion 

Among all the awards given out during the National Film Awards, the Dada Saheb Phalke Awards are of the highest order. It is given to personalities with lifetime contributions to Indian cinema.

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