---
title: "Which is the highest award in Indian cinema?"  
description: "Which is the highest award in Indian cinema?"  
author: "Sneha Basheer"  
published: 2026-11-10  
updated: 2026-11-11  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/119902/which-is-the-highest-award-in-indian-cinema  
category: "general knowledge"  
tags: ["Dadasaheb Phalke Award", "Indian cinema", "National Film Awards", "Devika Rani"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Which is the highest award in Indian cinema?



## Answers

### Answer by Ravi Vishwakarma

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the highest honour in Indian cinema, given for lifetime contribution. It was instituted in 1969 and named after Dadasaheb Phalke, known as the father of Indian cinema, who made India’s first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra, in 1913.

The first recipient was actress Devika Rani, in 1969. The award is presented as part of the National Film Awards. More in [movies and awards](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/questions/movies-and-award).


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