| Year | Director | Film | Year | Director | Film |
| 2010 | Rituparno Ghosh | Abahoman (Bengali) | 1988 | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Anantharam (Malayalam) |
| 2009 | Bala | Naan Kadavul (Tamil) | 1987 | G. Aravindan | Oridathu (Malayalam) |
| 2008 | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Naalu Pennungal (Malayalam) | 1986 | Shyam Benegal | Trikaal (Hindi) |
| 2007 | Madhur Bhandarkar | Traffic Signal (Hindi) | 1985 | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Mukhamukham (Malayalam) |
| 2006 | Rahul Dholakia | Parzania (English) | 1984 | Mrinal Sen | Khandhar (Hindi) |
| 2005 | Budhdhadeb Dasgupta | Swapner Din (Bengali) | 1983 | Utpalendu Chakrabarty | Chokh (Bengali) |
| 2004 | Gautam Ghose | Abar Aranye (Bengali) | 1982 | Aparna Sen | 36 Chowringhee Lane (English) |
| 2003 | Aparna Sen | Mr. and Mrs. Iyer (English) | 1981 | Mrinal Sen | Akaler Sandhane (Bengali) |
| 2002 | B. Lenin | Ooruku Nooruper (Tamil) | 1980 | Mrinal Sen | Ek Din Pratidin (Bengali) |
| 2001 | Rituparno Ghosh | Utsab (Bengali) | 1979 | G. Aravindan | Thamp (Malayalam) |
| 2000 | Budhdhadeb Dasgupta | Uttara (Bengali) | 1978 | G. Aravindan | Kanchana Sita (Malayalam) |
| 1999 | Rajivnath | Janani (Malayalam) | 1977 | P. Lankesh | Pallavi (Kannada) |
| 1998 | Jayaraaj | Kaliyattam (Malayalam) | 1976 | Satyajit Ray | Jana Aranya (Bengali) |
| 1997 | Agathiyan | Kadhal Kottai (Tamil) | 1975 | Satyajit Ray | Sonar Kella (Bengali) |
| 1996 | Saeed Akhtar Mirza | Naseem (Hindi) | 1974 | Mani Kaul | Duvidha (Hindi) |
| 1995 | Jahnu Barua | Hkhagoroloi Bahu Door (Assamese) | 1973 | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Swayamvaram (Malayalam) |
| 1994 | T.V. Chandran | Ponthanmada (Malayalam) | 1972 | Girish Karnad, B.V. Karanth | Vamsa Vriksha (Kannada) |
| 1993 | Gautam Ghosh | Padma Nadir Majhi (Bengali) | 1971 | Satyajit Ray | Pratidwandi (Bengali) |
| 1992 | Satyajit Ray | Agantuk (Bengali) | 1970 | Mrinal Sen | Bhuvan Shome (Hindi) |
| 1991 | Tapan Sinha | Ek Doctor Ki Maut (Hindi) | 1969 | Satyajit Ray | Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (Bengali) |
| 1990 | Adoor Gopalakrishnan | Mathilukal (Malayalam) | 1968 | Satyajit Ray | Chiriakhana (Bengali) |
| 1989 | Shaji N. Karun | Piravi (Malayalam) | - | - | - |