The Filmfare Award for Best Film is the superlative award in Filmfare Awards. It is presented to the previous year released Hindi film that creates the most widespread impact or awareness, is beautifully crafted and earns the maximum popularity and preference from the audience. It was first given at the very inception of Filmfare Awards, to the trendsetter and cult in parallel cinema, film "Do Bigha Zamin" in 1954.

Cult Films that won Filmfare Award for Best Film
The cult classic of the 50s "Mother India" won the Filmfare Award for Best Film, in addition to its numerous accolades. It is an epic drama film starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar, which centres on the concept of true womanhood. It was India`s first submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film (the Oscars) in 1958, where it got the nomination. Nargis and director Mehbood Khan too won the Filmfare Best Actress and Best Director awards respectively.

Another cult classic of 1960 to have won the Filmfare Award for Best Film is "Mughal-e-Azam", an epic historical drama revolving around the love affair between the Mughal Prince Salim (who went on to become Emperor Jahangir) and Anarkali, a court dancer. Salim`s father, Emperor Akbar, disapproves of the relationship and this leads to a war between father and son. It featured veterans Prithviraj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Madhubala.

Classics "Dosti" and "Deewaar" won this award too in 1965 and 1976 respectively. While the former is the story of friendship between a blind and a cripple, the latter is a crime drama directed by Yash Chopra, featuring legendary actors Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor.

Cult films of the late 80s and 90s which won this award include "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak", "Maine Pyar Kiya", "Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!", "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Raja Hindustani", "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" and "Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam". All these films feature the prominent leading trio of Bollywood Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan, signifying their total dominance in films in the 90s.

Contemporary 21st century classic films which have won the award include the universally acclaimed "Lagaan" directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, featuring and produced by Aamir Khan. The film was widely acclaimed and earned a nomination in the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in the 74th Academy Awards in 2002.

Other such films to have won the Filmfare Award for Best Film include "Devdas", "Black" and "Bajirao Mastani", all directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. "Black" is a globally acclaimed film portraying the relationship of a girl suffering deaf-blindness with her teacher, played by Rani Mukerji and Amitabh Bachchan respectively. It is inspired from Helen Keller`s life and struggle. "Black" holds the record for the most number of Filmfare award wins with 11, followed by "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge" and "Devdas" with 10 each.

Other notable films winning in the category are "Koi... Mil Gaya", "Taare Zameen Par", "Jodhaa Akbar", "3 Idiots", "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara", "Barfi!" and "Queen".

Filmfare declared a special award for the best film of last 50 years in its golden jubilee in 2005, presenting it to the film "Sholay" released in 1975, which is universally famous in India and till date regarded as the greatest commercial Indian film of all time.

Filmfare Award for Best Film at 61st Filmfare Awards
The 61st edition of Filmfare Awards held in January, 2016, nominated 6 films of 2015 for the Filmfare Award for Best Film, incorporating "Bajirao Mastani", "Bajrangi Bhaijaan", "Piku", "Tanu Weds Manu Returns", "Talvar" and "Badlapur".

The award was conferred upon "Bajirao Mastani", an epic historical romance produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. It showcased the love story of Maratha Peshwa (emperor) and warrior Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani, played by Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone respectively, also featuring Priyanka Chopra as Baji Rao"s first wife Kashibai.

List of Winners of Filmfare Award for Best Film
The given table is a list of winning films in the Filmfare Award for Best Film category, for the years 1990 to 2016.