Zoya Akhtar felicitated with 'Director of the Year' award by AIMA

Over the years, one of the trailblazer filmmakers has been director Zoya Akhtar. In an entertainment industry which is primarily male-dominated, at least when it comes to the work that happens behind-the-camera, Akhtar has managed to carve out a brilliant filmography and given some of the most iconic films as well.

With a fantastic directorial debut in the form of Luck By Chance followed by the now-cult, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and then Dil Dhadakne Do and the generation-shaking Gully Boy a couple of years ago, Akhtar definitely deserves all the plaudits and appreciation one can imagine.

And on that note, this Wednesday, during a virtual award ceremony, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport and Highways, presented the 2021 AIMA Managing India Awards (AIMA) in 11 categories. In the films category, Zoya Akhtar was honoured with the Director Of The Year award for Gully Boy. Speaking at the virtual award ceremony, Zoya Akhtar said, "Gully Boy is a gift that goes on giving, but this one is special as it is from AIMA."

She added, "I am constantly told that I need to get more organised, and now I am going to show everybody this award that All India Management Association has given me, so everybody keeps quiet." Every year, AIMA presents the Director Of The Year award, which recognises an individual "who has exemplified the spirit of filmmaking and created a masterpiece out of it". As per the description of the award, it is given to those directors "who have created a masterpiece that is pathbreaking and is worth watching over and over again".

Before this, Zoya Akhtar also won this award in 2012 for Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

In previous years, filmmakers such as Rajkumar Hirani, Anurag Kashyap, Ali Abbas Zafar, and Nitesh Tiwari have been honoured with this award.

ALSO READ: Zoya to launch Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Ibrahim Ali Khan in Hindi adaption of Archies comics!