Anant Nag: The Actor Who Made Naturalism His Signature, Now Honoured With Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Veteran actor Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024. ((mage PIB)
By TRH Entertainment Desk
From theatre and Kannada cinema to Hindi films and Malgudi Days, Anant Nag’s five-decade journey has made him one of Indian cinema’s most enduring actors.
New Delhi, September 16, 2026 — Anant Nag’s journey to India’s highest honour in cinema began not on a film set, but on the stage.
At 18, during his college years, Nag was selected for the lead role in a three-act play about Saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. More theatre assignments followed, including productions centred on Gautama Buddha and reincarnation. Over the next five years, he performed more than 50 different roles.
That early grounding in theatre would become central to the actor’s craft: an ability to inhabit characters without allowing performance to overwhelm the character itself.
Now, after more than five decades in Indian cinema, Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, recognising his contribution to Indian cinema and what the Government described as an “illustrious cinematic journey” that has inspired generations. The announcement was made by the Press Information Bureau on Wednesday.
The award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026.
From theatre to the Kannada screen
Born on September 4, 1948, Anant Nag spent his early years in coastal Karnataka before moving to Bombay, where he completed his matriculation.
His first Kannada feature was Sankalp, in which he made his debut in a lead role. He subsequently appeared in Shyam Benegal’s Ankur, beginning a parallel journey that would take him beyond the boundaries of mainstream Kannada cinema.
The Government’s Padma Bhushan citation describes Nag as an actor known for versatility and records his work in more than 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema.
His filmography includes collaborations with some of the most influential filmmakers of Indian cinema. His association with Shyam Benegal included films such as Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, Kondura and Kalyug.
For Kannada audiences, however, Nag became much more than an actor appearing in individual films. He became part of the evolution of modern Kannada cinema.
The Shankar Nag connection
One of the defining chapters of Anant Nag’s career was his creative association with his younger brother, Shankar Nag.
The brothers worked together on films including Minchina Ota, Janma Janmada Anubandha, Nodi Swamy Navirodu Hige and Accident.
Their association extended to television, where Anant Nag became part of the enduring legacy of Malgudi Days, Shankar Nag’s landmark adaptation of R.K. Narayan’s stories for Doordarshan.
For many viewers across India, Malgudi Days introduced Anant Nag to audiences who may not otherwise have encountered his work in Kannada cinema.
An actor of several registers
Nag’s career has resisted a single definition.
He has played romantic leads, serious dramatic characters, comic roles and supporting parts, moving across generations of Indian cinema.
His work in films such as Hamsageethe, Avasthe, Hosa Neeru, Ganeshana Maduve and Gauri Ganesha demonstrated different aspects of his range.
The Government’s Padma citation notes that his performances earned five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards and five Filmfare Awards, while 2023 marked his 50th year in cinema.
That longevity is significant in an industry where careers often become closely associated with a particular era or genre.
Nag instead moved through several phases of Indian cinema, adapting from lead roles to character parts without disappearing from the screen.
Beyond cinema
Anant Nag’s public life also extended beyond acting.
According to the Government’s Padma Bhushan citation, he served as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and later as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1999, when he held the portfolio of Minister of State for Bangalore City Development.
His honours include the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award and an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University.
In 2025, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Padma Bhushan on Nag in recognition of his contribution to Indian cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award now adds the country’s highest cinematic honour to that record.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke’s contribution to Indian cinema. It recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and is presented as part of the National Film Awards. The award comprises a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl and a cash prize.
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