Versatile Anant Nag conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award

"Congratulations to the legendary Anant Nag Ji on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. For several decades, his effortless performances, remarkable versatility and brilliance have left a very strong mark on Indian cinema, particularly Kannada cinema. In whichever role he has played, he brought rare depth and authenticity. 

This is indeed a richly deserved honour for a truly distinguished artist," Prime Minister Narendra Modi write on X. 

The award will be presented to Anant Nag at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on Sept 22. 

The Govt announcement said - "On the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, the Government of India is pleased to announce that the Actor will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 for his contribution to Indian cinema and an illustrious cinematic journey that has inspired generations."   

After Dr Rajkumar conferred the award in 1995, Anant Nag becomes the second Kannad star to get the honour.   

Nag made his film debut with the Kannada feature ‘Sankalp’ and entered Hindi cinema with ‘Ankur’. 

Over a career that marked its golden jubilee in 2023, the 78-year-old star has appeared in more than 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi. 

His television work includes ‘Malgudi Days’, adding another dimension to a career distinguished by its range of characters and languages.  

His cinematic journey has really “inspired generations of artists and enriched the cultural landscape of the nation”. 

Nag became known for his collaboration with Syam Benegal following 'Ankur' in films such as Nishant (1975), award winning 'Manthan' (1976), Kondura (1978) and Kalyug (1981).  

He famously describes acting as "behaving," conveying deep or complex emotions with an air of casualness and realistic elegance.  

He is most loved for his natural, under-playing style of acting. Anant Nag also said once --  “An actor should be like water. Ego-less. Only then can he mould his talent or fit into the skin of different characters and stories.”   

Anant Nag, who was a minister in Karnataka's J. .H Patel government, has spoken about being influenced by the JP movement at its peak.

In 2004, Nag unsuccessfully contested the Chamarajpet constituency, Bangalore assembly election from Janata Dal (Secular).

Nag also introduced his brother Shankar Nag to cinema.

Anant Nag started his career in the 1970s and became popular for his natural acting style and versatile roles in both art films and commercial movies. 

Some of his notable films include Sankarabharanam, Ganeshana Maduve, and Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu. 

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