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Awards won by Satyajit Ray and his films

In 1978, the organising committee of the Berlin Film Festival ranked Satyajit Ray as one of the three all-time best directors.

In 1992, Satyajit Ray received the honorary Academy Award ©A.M.P.A.S. ® – Lifetime Achievement – “In recognition of his rare mastery of the art of motion pictures and for his profound humanitarian outlook, which has had an indelible influence on filmmakers and audiences throughout the world.”

Other honours include “Lègion d’Honneur”, France and “Bharatratna” (Jewel of India), India.

Satyajit Ray received numerous awards, both for personal achievements as a filmmaker and for the films he made.

Personal Awards

  • Padmashree, India, 1958
  • Padmabhushan, India, 1965
  • Magasaysay Award, Manila, 1967
  • Star of Yugoslavia, 1971
  • Doctor of Letters, Delhi University, 1973
  • D. Litt., Royal College of Arts, London, 1974
  • Padmabibhushan, India, 1976
  • D. Litt., Oxford University, 1978
  • Special Award, Berlin Film Festival, 1978
  • Deshikottam, Visva-Bharati University, India, 1978
  • Special Award, Moscow Film Festival, 1979
  • D. Litt., Burdwan University, India, 1980
  • D. Litt., Jadavpur University, India, 1980
  • Doctorate, Benaras Hindu University, India, 1981
  • D. Litt. , North Bengal University, India, 1981
  • Hommage à Satyajit Ray, Canes Film Festival, 1982
  • Special Golden Lion of St. Mark, Venice Film Festival, 1982
  • Vidyasagar Award, Govt. of West Bengal, 1982
  • Fellowship, The British Film Institute, 1983
  • D. Litt., Calcutta University, India, 1985
  • Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India, 1985
  • Soviet Land Nehru Award, 1985
  • Fellowship, Sangeet Natak Academy, India, 1986
  • Légion d’Honneur, France, 1987
  • D. Litt., Rabindra Bharati University, India, 1987
  • Oscar for Lifetime Achievement, USA, 1992
  • Bharatratna, India, 1992

Awards for Films

Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road), 1955

  • President’s Gold & Silver Medals, New Delhi, 1955
  • Best Human Document, Cannes 1956
  • Diploma Of Merit, Edinbugh, 1956
  • Vatican Award, Rome, 1956
  • Golden Carbao, Manila, 1956
  • Best Film and Direction, San Francisco, 1957
  • Selznik Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1957
  • Best Film, Vancouver, 1958
  • Critics’ Award – Best Film, Stratford, (Canada), 1958
  • Best Foreign Film, New York, 1959
  • Kinema Jumpo Award: Best Foreign Film, Tokyo 1966
  • Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film of the Year, Denmark, 1966

Aparajito (The Unvanquished), 1956

  • Golden Lion of St. Mark, Venice, 1957
  • Cinema Nuovo Award, Venice, 1957
  • Critics Award, Venice, 1957
  • FIPRESCI Award, London, 1957
  • Best Film and Best Direction, San Francisco, 1958
  • International Critic’ Award, San Francisco, 1958
  • Golden Laurel for Best Foreign Film of 1958-59, USA
  • Selznik Golden Laurel, Berlin, 1960
  • Bodil Award: Best Non-European Film of the Year, Denmark, 1967

Jalsaghar (The Music Room), 1958

  • President’s Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1959
  • Silver Medal for Music, Moscow, 1959

Apur Sansar (The World Of Apu), 1959

  • President’s Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1959
  • Sutherland Award for Best Original And Imaginative Film, London, 1960
  • Diploma Of Merit, 14th International Film festival, Edinburgh, 1960
  • Best Foreign Film, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, USA, 1960

Apu Trilogy (Pather Panchali, 1955; Aparajito, 1956; Apur Sansar, 1959)

  • Wington Award for each film, London Festival, 1980

Devi (The Goddess), 1960

  • President’s Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1961

Teen Kanya (Three Daughters /Two Daughters), 1961

  • President’s Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1961 (for Samapti)
  • Golden Boomerang, Melbourne, 1962 (for the Two Daughters)
  • Selznik Golden Laurel Award, Berlin, 1963

Rabindranath Tagore (Documentary film), 1961

  • President’s Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1961
  • Golden Seal, Locarno, 1961
  • Special Mention, Montevideo, 1962

Abhijan (The Expedition), 1962

  • President’s Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1962

Mahanagar (The Big City), 1963

  • Certificate of Merit, New Delhi, 1964
  • Silver Bear For Best Direction, Berlin, 1964

Charulata (The Lonely Wife), 1964

  • President’s Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1964
  • Silver Bear For Best Direction, Berlin, 1965
  • Catholic Award, Berlin, 1965
  • Best Film, Acapulco, 1965

Nayak (The Hero), 1966

  • Best Screenplay and Story, New Delhi, 1967
  • Critics’ Prize (Unicrit award), Berlin, 1966
  • Special Jury Award, Berlin, 1966

Chiryakhana (The Zoo), 1967

  • Best Direction, West Bengal Government, 1968

Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha), 1968

  • Award for Best Direction, New Delhi, 1968
  • President’s Gold and Silver Medals, New Delhi, 1970
  • Silver Cross, Adelaide, 1969
  • Best Director, Auckland, 1969
  • Merit Award, Tokyo, 1970
  • Best Film, Melbourne, 1970

Pratidwandi (The Adversary) 1970

  • Special Award, New Delhi, 1971
  • President’s Silver Medal, New Delhi, 1971

Seemabaddha (Company Limited), 1971

  • President’s Gold Medal, New Delhi, 1972
  • PIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1972

The Inner Eye, 1972

  • President’s Gold Medal, new Delhi, 1974

Asani Sanket (Distant Thunder), 1973

  • Presidents Gold Medal for Music Direction, New Delhi, 1973
  • Best Regional Film, New Delhi, 1973
  • Golden Bear, Berlin, 1973
  • Golden Hugo, Chicago, 1974

Sonar Kella (The Golden Fortress), 1974

  • President’s Silver Medal, Best Screenplay, Direction, New Delhi, 1974
  • Best Film, Direction and Screenplay, Government of West Bengal, 1974
  • Best Feature Film for Children and Young Adults, Tehran, 1975

Jana Aranya (The Middleman), 1975

  • Best Direction, New Delhi, 1975
  • Best Film, Direction, Screenplay, Government of West Bengal, 1975
  • Karlovy Vary Prize, 1976

Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players), 1977

  • Best Feature Film in Hindi, New Delhi, 1977
  • Best Color Photography, New Delhi, 1977

Joi Baba Felunath (The Elephant God), 1978

  • Best Children’s Film, New Delhi, 1978
  • Best Feature Film, Hong Kong Film Festival, 1979

Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds), 1980

  • Best Music, Director, New Delhi, 1980
  • Best Lyrics, New Delhi, 1980
  • Special Award, Cyprus, 1984

Sadgati (Deliverance), 1981

  • Special Jury Award, New Delhi, 1981

Ghare-Baire (The Home and the World), 1984

  • Best Bengali Film, New Delhi, 1984
  • Best Costume design, New Delhi, 1984

Ganashatru (An Enemy of the People), 1989

  • Best Bengali Film, New Delhi, 1989

Agantuk (The Stranger), 1991

  • FIPRESCI Award, Venice, 1991
  • Best Film, New Delhi, 1991
  • Best Director, New Delhi, 1991

This is not an exhaustive list.