HYDERABAD: Veteran actor Anant Nag has been selected for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, recognising his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema and his distinguished career spanning more than five decades.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the honour on Wednesday, September 16. The award was decided on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.
Anant Nag will receive the prestigious honour at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony, scheduled to be held on September 22, 2026, at Ekta Nagar in Kevadia, Gujarat. The ceremony will recognise achievements in Indian cinema for the year 2024.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Anant Nag on the honour. In a post on X, the Prime Minister described him as a legendary actor and highlighted his immense contribution to Indian cinema, particularly Kannada cinema.
“Congratulations to the legendary Anant Nag Ji on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award,” Modi wrote. He also praised the veteran actor’s versatility, noting that his performances had brought depth and authenticity to the characters he portrayed.
Born Anant Nagarkatte on September 4, 1948, Anant Nag has been one of the prominent figures in Kannada cinema for more than 50 years. He has acted in over 300 films across multiple Indian languages, including Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi.
His association with the entertainment industry also extends to television. He was among the notable performers in the popular Doordarshan series Malgudi Days, based on the works of celebrated writer RK Narayan.
Anant Nag’s acting journey began on the theatre stage. At the age of 18, while pursuing his college education, he was selected to play the lead role in a play based on the life of Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He subsequently appeared in plays based on Gautama Buddha and several other subjects.
Over the next five years, he performed more than 50 different roles on stage, building a strong foundation in acting before entering the film industry.
Theatre personalities and filmmakers including YN Krishnamurthy, Girish Karnad and GV Iyer encouraged his transition to cinema. Anant Nag made his Kannada film debut as a lead actor with Sankalp. He subsequently entered Hindi cinema with Ankur, directed by Shyam Benegal.
Over the course of his career, he established himself as a versatile performer capable of portraying a wide variety of characters.
His contribution to cinema has brought him several major honours. He has won five Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Actor and five Filmfare Awards. In 2023, he completed 50 years in cinema, marking the golden jubilee of his acting career. In 2025, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
Anant Nag has also had a stint in public life. He served as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and subsequently as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1999. During this period, he also served as Minister of State for Bangalore City Development.
His other recognitions include the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award, and an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award now adds another major national honour to Anant Nag’s long and varied career across theatre, cinema, television and public service.
