| Year | Film | Language | Director |
| 2010 | Delhi-6 | Hindi | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra |
| 2009 | Aai Kot Nai | Assamese | Manju Borah |
| 2008 | Dharm | Hindi | Bhavna Talwar |
| 2007 | Kallarali Hoovagi | Kannada | T.S. Nagabharna |
| 2006 | Daivanamathil | Malayalam | Jayaraj |
| 2005 | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose: The Forgotten Hero | Hindi/English | Shyam Benegal |
| 2004 | Pinjar | Hindi | Chandra Prakash Dwivedi |
| 2003 | Mr. and Mrs. Iyer | English | Aparna Sen |
| 2002 | Bub (father) | Kashmiri | Jyoti Sarup |
| 2001 | Pukar | Hindi | Rajkumar Santoshi |
| 2000 | Shaheed Udham Singh | Punjabi | Chitrarath |
| 1999 | Zakhm | Hindi | Mahesh Bhatt |
| 1998 | Border | Hindi | J.P. Dutta |
| 1997 | Kanakinavu | Malayalam | Siby Malayil |
| 1996 | Bombay | Tamil | Mani Ratnam |
| 1995 | Mukhta | Marathi | Jabbar Patel |
| 1994 | Sardar | Hindi | Ketan Mehta |
| 1993 | Roja | Tamil | Mani Ratnam |
| 1992 | Adi Mimansa | Oriya | A.K. Bir |
| 1991 | no award | - | - |
| 1990 | Santa Sishunala Sharifa | Kannada | T.S. Nagabharana |
| 1989 | Rudraveena | Telugu | K. Balachander |
| 1988 | Tamas | Hindi | Govind Nihalani |
| 1987 | no award | - | |
| 1986 | Sree Narayana Guru | Malayalam | P.A. Backer |
| 1985 | Aadmi Aur Aurat | Hindi | Tapan Sinha |
| 1984 | Sookha | Hindi | M. S. Sathyu |
| 1983 | Aaroodam | Malayalam | I.V. Sasi |
| 1982 | Sapthapadhi | Telugu | K. Viswanath |
| 1981 | Bhavni Bhavai | Gujarati | Ketan Mehta |
| 1980 | 22 June 1897 | Marathi | Nachiket Patwardhan, Jayoo Patwardhan |
| 1979 | Grahana | Kannada | T.S. Nagabharana |
| 1978 | no award | - | - |
| 1977 | no award | - | - |
| 1976 | no award | - | - |
| 1975 | Parinay | Hindi | Kanthilal Rathod |
| 1974 | Garam Hawa | Hindi | M. S. Sathyu |
| 1973 | Achanum Bappayum | Malayalam | K.S. Sethumadhavan |
| 1972 | Do Boond Pani | Hindi | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas |
| 1971 | Thurakkatha Vaathil | Malayalam | P. Bhaskaran |
| 1970 | Saat Hindustani | Hindi | Khwaja Ahmad Abbas |
| 1969 | Janma Bhoomi | Malayalam | John Sankaramangalam |
| 1968 | no award | - | - |
| 1967 | Subhash Chandra | Hindi | Piyush Ghosh |
| 1966 | Shaheed | Hindi | S. Ram Sharma |