The National Film Award for Best Debut Film of a Director is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the National Film Development Corporation of India. It is one of several awards presented for feature films and awarded with Golden Lotus (Swarna Kamal).
| National Film Award for Best Debut Film of a Director | |
|---|---|
| National award for contributions to Indian Cinema | |
| Awarded for | Best debutant directorial work of a year |
| Sponsored by | National Film Development Corporation of India |
| Formerly called |
|
| Reward(s) |
|
| First awarded | 1980 |
| Last awarded | 2022 |
| Most recent winner | Fouja |
| Highlights | |
| Total awarded | 45 |
| First winner | Maina Tadanta |
| Website | http://dff.gov.in/  |
The award was instituted in 1980, at 28th National Film Awards[1] and has been awarded annually for films produced in the year across the country, in all Indian languages; Hindi (11 Awards), Bengali and Malayalam (9 Awards each), Tamil (5 Awards), Marathi (3 Awards), Assamese, English and Telugu (2 each), Haryanvi, Jasari, Karbi and Ladakhi (1 Each).
The award includes 'Golden Lotus Award' (Swarna Kamal) and cash prize. Until 69th edition, the award was given to director and producer. The name was shortened to Best Debut Film of a Director since 70th National Film Awards,[2][3] and the director alone is awarded. The prize money was increased to ₹3,00,000.[4]
Winners
edit| Indicates a joint award for that year |
1980 – 2021
edit| List of award films, showing the year (award ceremony), language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film(s) | Language(s) | Producer(s) | Director(s) | Citation | Refs. |
| 1980 (28th) |
Maina Tadanta | Bengali | – | Utpalendu Chakrabarty |
For depicting with realistic vigor the exploitation perpetrated on the tribal and the landless, for portraying the spirited fight of the downtrodden and for showing great maturity in the conception and presentation of the theme in this maiden venture. |
[1] |
| 1981 (29th) |
Aadharshila | Hindi | Ashok Ahuja | Ashok Ahuja |
For making a bold statement on the aspirations and frustrations of the young generation of film-makers he himself represents and for a very sensitive treatment of the relationship between an idealist director and an inscrutable story-write. |
[5] |
| 1982 (30th) |
Kann Sivanthaal Mann Sivakkum | Tamil | R. Venkat Raman | Sreedhar Rajan |
For its original interpretation of a deep-rooted social evil, combining folk art with modern cinematic idiom. |
[6] |
| 1983 (31st) |
Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro | Hindi | NFDC | Kundan Shah |
For its treatment of contemporary theme with wit and humour. |
[7] |
| 1984 (32nd) |
Meendum Oru Kaathal Kathai | Tamil | Radhika Pothan | Prathap K. Pothan | – | [8] |
| 1985 (33rd) |
New Delhi Times | Hindi | P. K. Tiwari | Romesh Sharma |
For a bold exposure of a murky world of politics where murder and mayhem are engineered for personal gains and truth becomes a casualty. |
[9] |
| 1986 (34th) |
Yeh Woh Manzil To Nahin | Hindi | Sudhir Mishra | Sudhir Mishra |
For an incisive analysis of history as seen through the eyes of three elderly freedom fighters and its impact on their stand against social injustice in contemporary times. |
[10] |
| 1987 (35th) |
Ekti Jiban | Bengali | Chalchitra | Raja Mitra |
For a very courageous first attempt of a director in tackling the subject of an individual unwavering in his conviction in the cultural value of his language and single handly making available its enriching value to the generation of his people who will come after him. |
[11] |
| 1988 (36th) |
Trishagni | Hindi | Nabendu Ghosh | Nabendu Ghosh |
For excellent exploration of complex philosophical theme for the first time in Indian cinema. |
[12] |
| 1989 (37th) |
Wosobipo | Karbi | Karbi Anglong District Council | Gautam Bora |
For its fresh and original evocation of the collective unconscious of a hill tribe whose way of life has been disintegrating over the last four decades, as seen through the eyes of a boy growing up into the responsibilities of manhood. |
[13] |
| 1990 (38th) |
Perumthachan | Malayalam | G. Jayakumar | Ajayan |
For depicting a historical backdrop with authenticity, shattering all traditional beliefs with superlative artistic texture. |
[14] |
| 1991 (39th) |
Haladhar | Assamese | • Geeti Barua • Dwijen Hazorika |
Sanjeev Hazorika |
For its freshness of approach, the subtlety of its pervasive humour and the courage shown in choosing to build a film around a plough. |
[15] |
| 1992 (40th) |
Miss Beatty's Children | English | • NFDC • Doordarshan • Rooks AV |
Pamela Rooks |
For an elegantly simple and sensitive depiction of a British missionary woman who fights the devdasi system in pre-independent India. |
[16] |
| 1993 (41st) |
Sunya Theke Suru | Bengali | • H. Das • Madhumanti Maitra • M. Das |
Ashoke Viswanathan |
For its creative handling of sensitive subject, exhibiting the socio-political situation of out society, spanning three decades. |
[17] |
| 1994 (42nd) |
Mogamul | Tamil | J. Dharmambal | Gnana Rajasekaran |
For an able translation of a literary work of art, for integrating music with melodramatic narrative and for a cinematic simplicity matched with remarkable directorial control. |
[18] |
| 1995 (43rd) |
Kahini | Bengali | • Chandramala Bhattacharya • Malaya Bhattacharya |
Malaya Bhattacharya |
For its bold and innovative style and choice of a subject in which the form and content merges into one. |
[19] |
| 1996 (44th) |
Rag Birag | Assamese | • Bhabhen Baruah • Khanin Baruah |
Bidyut Chakraborty |
For director's sensitivity in portraying complex human psyche of individual character's in the film. |
[20] |
| 1997 (45th) |
Bhoothakkannadi | Malayalam | Nair Krishnakumar Unni | A. K. Lohithadas |
For the director's competent handling of the delicate balance of the human psyche. |
[21] |
| 1998 (46th) |
Daya | Malayalam | C. K. Gopinath | Venu |
For its depiction of a delightful fairy-tale-like theme lending exotic sophistication and colour to the unique mosaic of creativity, imagination and style. |
[22] |
| 1999 (47th) |
Dollar Dreams | English | Sekhar Kammula | Sekhar Kammula |
For tacking in a very natural manner the burning problem of brain drain to the techno-logically developed world. |
[23] |
| Laado | Haryanvi | Kumud Chaudhary | Ashwini Chaudhary |
For taking a bold stand over women's rights in the traditionally orthodox agricultural community of Haryana. | ||
| 2000 (48th) |
Sayahnam | Malayalam | M. S. Nazeer | R. Sarath |
For the nature and gripping manner in which this young director deals with complex issues like political honesty and nuclear disarmament. |
[24] |
| 2001 (49th) |
Thilaadanam | Telugu | NFDC | K. N. T. Sastry |
For its juxtaposition of two diverse ideologies existing within the same family, the father's belief in his religion and traditions and his son's revolutionary ideology. The film strikes a very fine balance in inter-generational explorations. |
[25] |
| 2002 (50th) |
Patalghar | Bengali | Niti Sonee Gourisaria | Abhijit Chaudhuri |
For its craftsmanship and fine blending of the conventions of science fiction and an indigenous narrative form. |
[26] |
| Prohor | Bengali | Debjani Gupta | Subhadro Chaudhary |
For its use of sensitive idiom to portray the trauma of a brutalized woman. | ||
| 2003 (51st) |
Margam | Malayalam | Rajiv Vijay Raghavan | Rajiv Vijay Raghavan |
For poignantly capturing the troubled journey of a middle-aged individual reexamining his political past in the light of prevailing socio-political values. |
[27] |
| 2004 (52nd) |
Grahanam | Telugu | N. Anji Reddy | Mohan Krishna Indraganti |
For invoking nostalgia in a manner that is powerful yet poetic. |
[28] |
| 2005 (53rd) |
Parineeta | Hindi | Vidhu Vinod Chopra | Pradeep Sarkar |
For the competent directorial style to recreate a classic novel with modern cinematic sensibilities. |
[29] |
| 2006 (54th) |
Eakantham | Malayalam | Anthony Joseph | Madhu Kaithapram |
For sensitively portraying the solitude of two ageing brothers who have lost everyone around them. |
[30] |
| Kabul Express | Hindi | Aditya Chopra | Kabir Khan |
For capturing, through the journey of two Indian journalists, the collapse of Taliban in post 9/11 Afghanistan. | ||
| 2007 (55th) |
Frozen | • Hindi • Ladakhi |
Shivajee Chandrabhushan | Shivajee Chandrabhushan |
For bringing to life with warmth and vivacity life in those distant desolate snow bound heights where existence itself is a fulltime challenge. |
[31] |
| 2008 (56th) |
A Wednesday! | Hindi | UTV Motion Pictures | Neeraj Pandey |
For slick and searing exposure of the tension below the normal rhythm of life and the angst of the common man in Mumbai. |
[32] |
| 2009 (57th) |
Lahore | Hindi | Vivek Khatkar | Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan |
For excellent control over the medium and using sport as a metaphor to tell a compelling story. |
[33] |
| 2010 (58th) |
Baboo Band Baaja | Marathi | Nita Jadhav | Rajesh Pinjani |
For a riveting tale of a father reluctant to educate his son, a mother who fiercely believes in its liberatory value, and the son who is caught in the crossfire, 'Baboo' is an outstanding debut project by director. |
[34] |
| 2011 (59th) |
Aaranya Kaandam | Tamil | S. P. Charan | Thiagarajan Kumararaja |
For a stylized and ironic reinvention of the gangster genre that presents a dazzling map of Chennai's subterranean world of druglords and violence. The director cinematically scrutinizes the landscape of decaying architecture, abandoned factories, old cars and the crisis of masculinity to present a labyrinthine urban dystopia. The city emerges as a wasteland that is simultaneously mundane, shocking and nightmarish. |
[35] |
| 2012 (60th) |
Chittagong | Hindi | Bedabrata Pain | Bedabrata Pain |
A page from the history of India's independence struggle. The director has recreated a small town incident which had national impact with consummate artistry in his debut film. |
[36] |
| 101 Chodyangal | Malayalam | Thomas Kottackkakom | Sidhartha Siva |
Highly watchable cinematic experience presented through a special relationship between a young precocious child and his conscientious school teacher. The director in his debut film has done a commendable job in putting forth a topical and sensitive issue. | ||
| 2013 (61st) |
Fandry | Marathi | • Navalkha Arts • Holy Basil Combine |
Nagraj Manjule |
A stark and realistic portrayal of Dalits in India seen through the eyes of a young boy who is desperately trying to break age old shackles. It makes a strong statement that despite various reformers doing their best.... much remains to be done. |
[37] |
| 2014 (62nd) |
Asha Jaoar Majhe | Bengali | • For Films • Salaam Cinema |
Aditya Vikram Sengupta |
For the portrayal of routine ordinary life with extraordinary cinematic finesse. |
[38] |
| 2015 (63rd) |
Masaan | Hindi | Phantom Films | Neeraj Ghaywan |
For his perceptive approach to film-making in handling a layered story of people caught up changing social and moral values. |
[39] |
| 2016 (64th) |
Alifa | Bengali | Amaan Ahmed | Deep Choudhury |
It brings out the nuances of a very complex socio-environmental problem. |
[40] |
| 2017 (65th) |
Sinjar | Jasari | Shibu G. Suseelan | Pampally | – | |
| 2018 (66th) |
Naal | Marathi | Nagraj Manjule | Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti |
The film is a poignant message about the ethics of adoption, told through a child’s perspective. |
[41][42] |
| 2019 (67th) |
Helen | Malayalam | Vineeth Sreenivasan | Mathukutty Xavier |
An engaging way of story-telling of a young girl entrapped in a cold storage in the middle of night and the frantic struggle of her lover and father to locate her. |
|
| 2020 (68th) |
Mandela | Tamil | S. Sashikanth | Madonne Ashwin |
For highlighting the value of every single vote in a working democracy in an entertaining manner. |
[43] |
| 2021 (69th) |
Meppadiyan | Malayalam | Unni Mukundan Films | Vishnu Mohan | [44] | |
2022 – present
editSince the 70th National Film Awards, director alone is awarded.
| List of award films, showing the year (award ceremony), language(s), producer(s), director(s) and citation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film(s) | Language(s) | Director(s) | Citation | Refs. | |
| 2022 (70th) |
Fouja | Haryanvi | Pramod Kumar | [45] | ||
References
edit- ^ a b "28th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "Indira and Nargis dropped from names of top film awards". The Hindu. 13 February 2024. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Indira Gandhi, Nargis Dutt's names dropped from National Film Awards categories". India Today. 13 February 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Report on Rationalization of Awards Conferred by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting | Ministry of Information and Broadcasting | Government of India". mib.gov.in. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. 14 December 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
- ^ "29th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "30th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "31st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "32nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "33rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "34th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "35th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "36th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "37th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "38th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "39th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "40th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "41st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "42nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "43rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "44th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "45th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "46th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "47th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "48th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "49th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "50th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "51st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "53rd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "54th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "55th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "56th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "57th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "58th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
- ^ "59th National Film Awards for the Year 2011 Announced". Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ "60th National Film Awards Announced" (PDF) (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ "61st National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 16 April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- ^ "62nd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 24 March 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ^ "63rd National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. 28 March 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
- ^ "64th National Film Awards" (PDF) (Press release). Directorate of Film Festivals. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2017. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
- ^ "66th National Film Awards winners' list: 'Andhadhun', 'KGF', 'Padmaavat' win the prestigious award". The Times of India.
- ^ "66th National Film Awards: Full winners list". India Today. Ist.
- ^ "68th National Film Awards | Soorarai Pottru wins Best Film award". The Hindu. 22 July 2022. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
- ^ "69th National Film Awards 2023 complete winners list: Rocketry, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon, Allu Arjun, RRR, Gangubai Kathiawadi win big". 24 August 2023.
- ^ "70th National Film Awards announcement live updates: Rishabh Shetty wins Best Actor, Attam is Best Feature Film". Hindustan Times.