The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest official recognition in the field of cinema. Presented annually at the National Film Awards by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organization under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, this prestigious honor is bestowed upon individuals selected by a committee of eminent Indian film industry personalities. The award celebrates an "Outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema."
About Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Dadasaheb Phalke, widely revered as the “Father of Indian Cinema,” directed India's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. The award was established to commemorate his pioneering legacy. Recipients of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award are honored with a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh. Distinguished luminaries such as Asha Parekh, Rajinikanth, Amitabh Bachchan, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar, Dev Anand, and Dilip Kumar have been recipients of this coveted accolade.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners List (1969 -2025)
As India’s highest cinematic honor, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award continues to recognize unparalleled excellence. Devika Rani was the inaugural recipient at the 17th National Film Awards. In 2025, the honor was presented to Mohanlal in recognition of his extraordinary career in Malayalam cinema. Previously, the 2024 award was conferred upon Mithun Chakraborty for his iconic contributions to Hindi films. Below is the comprehensive list of Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners (1969–2025).
| List of Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners (1969 -2025) | ||
| Year | Recipient | Category |
| 2025 (75th) | Mohanlal | Malyalam |
| 2024 (74th) | Mithun Chakraborty | Hindi |
| 2023 (73rd) | Rekha | HIndi |
| 2020 (68th) | Asha Parekh | Hindi |
| 2019 (67th) | Rajnikanth | Tamil |
| 2018 (66th) | Amitabh Bachchan | Hindi |
| 2017 (65th) | Vinod Khanna | Hindi |
| 2016 (64th) | Kasinathuni Viswanath | Telugu |
| 2015 (63rd) | Manoj Kumar | Hindi |
| 2014 (62nd) | Shashi Kapoor | Hindi |
| 2013 (61st) | Gulzar | Hindi |
| 2015 (63rd) | Manoj Kumar | Hindi |
| 2014 (62nd) | Shashi Kapoor | Hindi |
| 2013 (61st) | Gulzar | Hindi |
| 2012 (60th) | Pran | Hindi |
| 2011 (59th) | Soumitra Chatterjee | Bengali |
| 2010 (58th) | K. Balachander | Tamil, Telugu |
| 2009 (57th) | D. Ramanaidu | Telugu |
| 2008 (56th) | V. K. Murthy | Hindi |
| 2007(55th) | Manna Dey | Bengali, Hindi |
| 2006 (54th) | Tapan Sinha | Bengali, Hindi |
| 2005 (53rd) | Shyam Benegal | Hindi |
| 2004 (52nd) | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Malayalam |
| 2003 (51st) | Mrinal Sen | Bengali |
| 2002 (50th) | Dev Anand | Hindi |
| 2001 (49th) | Yash Chopra | Hindi |
| 2000 (48th) | Asha Bhosle | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1999 (47th) | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Hindi |
| 1998 (46th) | B. R. Chopra | Hindi |
| 1997 (45th) | Kavi Pradeep | Hindi |
| 1996 (44th) | Sivaji Ganesan | Tamil |
| 1995 (43rd) | Rajkumar | Kannada |
| 1994 (42nd) | Dilip Kumar | Hindi |
| 1993 (41st) | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Hindi |
| 1992 (40th) | Bhupen Hazarika | Assamese |
| 1991 (39th) | B. G. Pendharkar | Marathi |
| 1990 (38th) | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Telugu |
| 1989 (37th) | Lata Mangeshkar | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1988 (36th) | Ashok Kumar | Hindi |
| 1987 (35th) | Raj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1995 (43rd) | Rajkumar | Kannada |
| 1994 (42nd) | Dilip Kumar | Hindi |
| 1993 (41st) | Majrooh Sultanpuri | Hindi |
| 1992 (40th) | Bhupen Hazarika | Assamese |
| 1991 (39th) | B.G. Pendharkar | Marathi |
| 1990 (38th) | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Telugu |
| 1989 (37th) | Lata Mangeshkar | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1988 (36th) | Ashok Kumar | Hindi |
| 1987 (35th) | Raj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1986 (34th) | B. Nagi Reddy | Telugu |
| 1985 (33rd) | V. Shantaram | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1984 (32nd) | Satyajit Ray | Bengali |
| 1983 (31st) | Durga Khote | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1982 (30th) | L. V. Prasad | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu |
| 1992 (40th) | Bhupen Hazarika | Assamese |
| 1991 (39th) | B. G. Pendharkar | Marathi |
| 1990 (38th) | Akkineni Nageswara Rao | Telugu |
| 1989 (37th) | Lata Mangeshkar | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1988 (36th) | Ashok Kumar | Hindi |
| 1987 (35th) | Raj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1986 (34th) | B. Nagi Reddy | Telugu |
| 1985 (33rd) | V. Shantaram | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1984 (32nd) | Satyajit Ray | Bengali |
| 1983 (31st) | Durga Khote | Hindi, Marathi |
| 1982 (30th) | L. V. Prasad | Hindi, Tamil, Telugu |
| 1981 (29th) | Naushad | Hindi |
| 1980 (28th) | Paidi Jairaj | Hindi, Telugu |
| 1979 (27th) | Sohrab Modi | Hindi |
| 1978 (26th) | Raichand Boral | Bengali, Hindi |
| 1977 (25th) | Nitin Bose | Bengali, Hindi |
| 1976 (24th) | Kanan Devi | Bengali |
| 1975 (23rd) | Dhirendra Nath Ganguly | Bengali |
| 1974 (22nd) | Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy | Telugu |
| 1973 (21st) | Ruby Myers (Sulochana) | Hindi |
| 1972 (20th) | Pankaj Mullick | Bengali & Hindi |
| 1971 (19th) | Prithviraj Kapoor | Hindi |
| 1970 (18th) | Birendranath Sircar | Bengali |
| 1969 (17th) | Devika Rani | Hindi |
Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2025Winner Mohanlal Biography
Legendary actor Mohanlal was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2025 for his monumental contribution to Indian cinema. Below, candidates can review the full details of this year's distinguished awardee.
- Mohanlal Viswanathan Nair was born on 21 May 1960 in Kerala, India.
- He is a famous actor, producer, and playback singer, mainly known for his work in Malayalam films.
- He received the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019 from the Government of India.
- He has acted in over 360 movies in a career that spans nearly 50 years.
- Some of his popular films include Kireedam, Bharatham, Vanaprastham, and Drishyam.
- He has won 5 National Film Awards and many Kerala State Film Awards.
- His film Vanaprastham was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, gaining global attention.
- In 2009, he was made an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army.
DadaSaheb Phalke Award Winners- FAQs
Ans. Dadasaheb Phalke is honored as the “Father of Indian Cinema,” having directed the country's first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913. The award was instituted to celebrate his foundational role in the Indian film industry.
Ans. The award is presented to individuals who have made an "Outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema" throughout their careers.
Ans. Devika Rani was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, receiving the honor at the 17th National Film Awards in 1969.
Ans. Yes, actors Prithviraj Kapoor (1971) and Vinod Khanna (2017) were both honored with the award posthumously.
Ans. Mohanlal is the 2025 recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, honored for his extensive and impactful work in the Malayalam film industry.
Ans. Four pairs of siblings have received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award: Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy (1974) and Bommireddy Nagi Reddy (1986); Raj Kapoor (1987) and Shashi Kapoor (2014); Lata Mangeshkar (1989) and Asha Bhosle (2000); and B.R. Chopra (1998) and Yash Chopra (2001).
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