FIPRESCI’s Top Ten Indian films of all time includes two Satyajit Ray movies

FIPRESCI-India (India chapter of the International Federation of Film Critics:

FIPRESCI) conducted a secret poll for making a list of the All Time Ten Best Indian

Films. 30 Members of FIPRESCI-India voted in confidence and on the basis of

maximum number of votes polled in favour of the films the following list was

declared officially:

ALL TIME TEN BEST INDIAN FILMS:

1. Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road, Bengali, 1955) by Satyajit Ray

2. Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-Capped Star, Bengali, 1960) by Ritwick

Ghatak

3. Bhuvan Shome (Hindi, 1969) by Mrinal Sen

4. Elippathayam (The Rat Trap, Malayalam, 1981) by Adoor Gopalakrishnan

5. Ghatashraddha (The Ritual, Kannada, 1977) by Girish Kasaravalli

6. Garm Hava (Scorching Winds, Hindi, 1973) by M.S. Sathyu

7. Charulata (The Lonely Wife, Bengali, 1964) by Satyajit Ray

8. Ankur (The Seedling, Hindi, 1974) by Shyam Benegal

9. Pyaasa (Thirsty, Hindi, 1957) by Guru Dutt

10. Sholay (Embers, Hindi, 1975) by Ramesh Sippy

It is worth noting that the list includes five Hindi films, ranked 3, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Other languages represented are Bengali (3) and one each in the Malayalam and Kannada languages. Time span-wise, the period covered is 1955 to 1981.

Indian master director and the best known Indian director outside India, Satyajit Ray, is the only director to have two films making it to the crème de là crème.