The Zee Cine Award Best Director is chosen via the public of India. The winners are announced in March.
The winners are listed below:-
| Year | Director | Film |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | J.P. Dutta | Border |
| 1999 | Karan Johar | Kuch Kuch Hota Hai |
| 2000 | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam |
| 2001 | Rakesh Roshan | Kaho Naa... Pyaar Hai |
| 2002 | Ashutosh Gowariker | Lagaan |
| 2003 | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Devdas |
| 2004 | Rakesh Roshan | Koi... Mil Gaya |
| 2005 | Yash Chopra | Veer-Zaara |
| 2006 | Sanjay Leela Bhansali | Black |
| 2007 | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | Rang De Basanti |
| 2008 | Aamir Khan | Taare Zameen Par (Like Stars on Earth) |
| 2011 | Karan Johar | My Name is Khan |
| 2012 | Imtiaz Ali | Rockstar |
Famous quotes containing the words award and/or director:
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—Robert Graves (1895–1985)
“The director is simply the audience. So the terrible burden of the director is to take the place of that yawning vacuum, to be the audience and to select from what happens during the day which movement shall be a disaster and which a gala night. His job is to preside over accidents.”
—Orson Welles (1915–1984)