Dadasaheb Phalke Award Winners - 2001 to 2005

Presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by Government of India, Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema. This is a list of winners between 2001 and 2005. Being such a prestigious award, every winner is an architect of Indian cinema.

This is named after the father of Indian cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke who made the first Indian cinema in 1913.

It is notable that 4 out of 5 are directors.

In a career that spanned more than five decades, Yash Chopra is named “King of romance” and is arguably, he is India’s most successful romantic Hindi films director. He is the founder of India’s biggest production company Yash Raj Films.

Notable films as director:

• Dhool ka Phool (1959) – Debut film
• Waqt (1965) – Rose to prominence
• Daag: A Poem of Love(1973) – His first film under his own production company
• Dewaar (1975) – The film which established Amitabh Bachchan as a star
• Chandini (1989) – Critically and commercially successful cult film
• Lamhe (1991) – Classic
• Darr (1993) – Trend setter
• Veer – zaara (2004) – Romantic blockbuster
• Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) – Last film

Notable Awards:

• 6 National film awards
• 11 Filmfare awards
• Padma Bhushan in 2005
• Honoured by the Swiss Government for rediscovering Switzerland
• BAFTA presented him with a lifetime membership for his contribution to films
• Honorary Doctorate degrees from five universities

Widely revered as "evergreen star of Hindi cinema", Dev Anand’s career spanned more than 65 years during when he acted in 114 films, mostly Hindi. He is also a co-founder of Navketan International Films.

Notable films as Actor:

• Hum Ek Hain (1946) – Debut film
• Ziddi (1948) – Big break for Dev Anand
• Afsar (1950) – First film from his own production company
• Baazi (1951) – Prominent Indian director Guru dutt’s debut.
• Taxi Driver (1954) – The movie in which he found his future wife, Kalpana
• Paying Guest (1956) – First film to star the hit pair, Dev Anand and Nutan
• Kala Pani (1958) – Film which bagged him a Filmfare
• Tere Ghar Ke Samne (1963) – Last film with Nutan
• Guide (1965) – A milestone in Indian cinema
• Prem Pujari (1970) – Debut as a director
• Chargesheet (2011) – Last film

Notable Awards:

• 2 National awards
• 4 Filmfare awards
• Padma Bhushan in 2001

Regarded as one of "India's most important film-makers", Mrinal Sen has directed 27 films, mostly Bengali in a career spanning nearly five decades. He is considered as an architect of Indian parallel cinema along with his contemporaries, Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak.

Notable films:

• Raat Bhore (1955) – Debut
• Baishey Shravan (1960) – The film which gave him international exposure
• Bhuvan Shome (1969) – The film that initiated New wave movement in India
• Interview (1971), Calcutta 71 (1972), and Padatik (The Guerrilla Fighter, 1973) – His Calcutta triology.
• Ek Din Pratidin (1979) and Kharij (1982) - Films which explored middle class morality
• Akaler Sandhane (1980)

Notable Award:

• 16 National Awards
• 12 International film festival awards
• Padma Bhushan in1981
• Honorary Doctorate by four universities.

Credited with pioneering the new wave cinema movement in Malayalam cinema, director Gopalakrishnan won the National Film Award for Best Direction for his debut film, Swayamvaram (1972). He has been acclaimed for his "ability to portray complex problems in a simplistic way".

Films that won him National Award:

• 1973 - Best Film - Swayamvaram
• 1995 - Best Film - Kathapurushan
• 1973 - Best Director - Swayamvaram
• 1985 - Best Director - Mukhamukham
• 1988 - Best Director - Anantharam
• 1990 - Best Director - Mathilukal
• 2008 - Best Director - Naalu Pennungal
• 1978 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Kodiyettam
• 1982 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Elippathayam
• 1985 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Mukhamukham
• 1990 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Mathilukal
• 1994 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Vidheyan
• 2003 - Best Feature Film in Malayalam - Nizhalkkuthu
• 1985 - Best Screenplay - Mukhamukham
• 1988 - Best Screenplay - Anantharam

Notable Awards:

• 17 National Awards
• 17 Kerala State Awards
• 2006 - Padma Vibhushan
• Padma Shri in 1984
• Legion of Honour (1984) — French order, the highest decoration in France
• London Film Festival — Sutherland Trophy — in 1982 for Elippathayam
• British Film Institute Award — Most Original Imaginative Film of 1982 — Elippathayam
• Lifetime achievement award at Cairo International Film Festival.
• 2010 - Honorary Doctorate [D.Litt] from University of Kerala

Benegal started his career by making advertising films. He directed his first feature film, Ankur, in 1973. His films have focused on women and their rights. He is the creator of New / Alternate Indian cinema by balancing Art films with commercial cinema.

Films that won him National Award:

• 1975 Second Best Feature Film for Ankur
• 1976 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Nishant
• 1977 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Manthan
• 1978 Best Screenplay for Bhumika
• 1979 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Junoon
• 1982 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Arohan
• 1984 Best Historical Reconstruction for Nehru
• 1985 Best Biographical Film for Satyajit Ray
• 1986 Best Director for Trikal
• 1993 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda
• 1995 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Mammo
• 1996 Best Feature Film in English for The Making of the Mahatma
• 1997 Best Feature Film in Urdu for Sardari Begum
• 1999 Best Feature Film for Samar
• 1999 Best Feature Film on Family Welfare for Hari-Bhari
• 2001 Best Feature Film in Hindi for Zubeidaa
• 2005 Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration for Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero
• 2009 Best Film on Other Social Issues for Well Done Abba

Notable Awards:

• 18 National film awards
• 4 international film festival awards
• Padma Shri in 1976
• Padma Bhushan in 1991
• 2012 D. Litt. Honoris Causa of the University of Calcutta