The National Film Awards are considered as India’s most prestigious film awards. It is the most prominent and oldest Filmfare Awards, established in the year 1954. Since 1973, the award ceremonies have been administrated by the Indian government’s Directorate of Film Festivals. The Best Direction Award is listed under the Golden Lotus Award category. The winners are honored with a cash prize of Rs.1, 00,000 and a Swarna Kamal (golden lotus). A national panel is appointed by the government to select the winning entry and the President of India presents the awards to the winners for the year. The ‘Best Direction’ award was introduced in 1968 and was first awarded to Satyajit Ray for the film ‘Chiriakhana’. Satyajit Ray was an Indian Bengali filmmaker and was regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema.
Golden Lotus Award Winners For Best Direction Are:
|
Year
|
Director
|
Film
|
Language
|
|
2009
|
Bala
|
Naan Kadavul
|
Tamil
|
|
2008
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
Naalu Pennungal
|
Malayalam
|
|
2007
|
Madhur Bhandarkar
|
Traffic Signal
|
Hindi
|
|
2006
|
Rahul Dholakia
|
Parzania
|
English
|
|
2005
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
Swapner Din
|
Bengali
|
|
2004
|
Gautam Ghose
|
Abar Aranye
|
Bengali
|
|
2003
|
Aparna Sen
|
Mr. and Mrs. Iyer
|
English
|
|
2002
|
B. Lenin
|
Ooruku Nooruper
|
Tamil
|
|
2001
|
Rituparno Ghosh
|
Utsab
|
Bengali
|
|
2000
|
Budhdhadeb Dasgupta
|
Uttara
|
Bengali
|
|
1999
|
Rajivnath
|
Janani
|
Malayalam
|
|
1998
|
Jayaraaj
|
Kaliyattam
|
Malayalam
|
|
1997
|
Agathiyan
|
Kadhal Kottai
|
Tamil
|
|
1996
|
Saeed Akhtar Mirza
|
Naseem
|
Hindi
|
|
1995
|
Jahnu Barua
|
Hkhagoroloi Bahu Door
|
Assamese
|
|
1994
|
T.V. Chandran
|
Ponthan Mada
|
Malayalam
|
|
1993
|
Gautam Ghosh
|
Padma Nadir Majhi
|
Bengali
|
|
1992
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Agantuk
|
Bengali
|
|
1991
|
Tapan Sinha
|
Ek Doctor Ki Maut
|
Hindi
|
|
1990
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
Mathilukal
|
Malayalam
|
|
1989
|
Shaji N. Karun
|
Piravi
|
Malayalam
|
|
1988
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
Anantharam
|
Malayalam
|
|
1987
|
G. Aravindan
|
Oridathu
|
Malayalam
|
|
1986
|
Shyam Benegal
|
Trikaal
|
Hindi
|
|
1985
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
Mukhamukham
|
Malayalam
|
|
1984
|
Mrinal Sen
|
Khandhar
|
Hindi
|
|
1983
|
Utpalendu Chakrabarty
|
Chokh
|
Bengali
|
|
1982
|
Aparna Sen
|
36 Chowringhee Lane
|
English
|
|
1981
|
Mrinal Sen
|
Akaler Sandhane
|
Bengali
|
|
1980
|
Mrinal Sen
|
Ek Din Pratidin
|
Bengali
|
|
1979
|
G. Aravindan
|
Thamp
|
Malayalam
|
|
1978
|
G. Aravindan
|
Kanchana Sita
|
Malayalam
|
|
1977
|
P. Lankesh
|
Pallavi
|
Kannada
|
|
1976
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Jana Aranya
|
Bengali
|
|
1975
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Sonar Kella
|
Bengali
|
|
1974
|
Mani Kaul
|
Duvidha
|
Hindi
|
|
1973
|
Adoor Gopalakrishnan
|
Swayamvaram
|
Malayalam
|
|
1972
|
Girish Karnad, B.V. Karanth
|
Vamsa Vriksha
|
Kannada
|
|
1971
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Pratidwandi
|
Bengali
|
|
1970
|
Mrinal Sen
|
Bhuvan Shome
|
Hindi
|
|
1969
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne
|
Bengali
|
|
1968
|
Satyajit Ray
|
Chiriakhana
|
Bengali
|