Veteran actor Anant Nag has been chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced on Wednesday through the Press Information Bureau (PIB). The country’s highest cinematic honour recognises his prolific five-decade journey and immense contribution to Indian cinema.
The official notification noted that the award comes on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, honouring the Padma Bhushan recipient for a rich body of work that has influenced generations of actors and audiences.
The award will be presented to Anant Nag at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on September 22 in Kevadia, Gujarat.
With a career spanning over 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, and Marathi cinema, Anant Nag first made heads turn in parallel cinema through landmark collaborations with filmmaker Shyam Benegal, including Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, and Bhumika. He subsequently became a mainstay of Kannada cinema, delivering memorable performances across drama, romance, and comedy in films like Bayalu Daari, Chandanada Gombe, Naa Ninna Bidalaare, and Ganeshana Maduve, right up to modern favourites like Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu and KGF.
With this honour, Anant Nag becomes only the second Kannada screen icon after Dr Rajkumar (1995) to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Tributes and congratulatory messages have been pouring in from film fraternity members, political leaders, and fans across the country.
