Anant Nag Dedicates Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 to Karnataka

Veteran actor Anant Nag has dedicated the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 to the people of Karnataka, attributing his more than five-decade career to the state's filmmakers, audiences and cultural environment.

Nag said the opportunities and atmosphere he found in Karnataka allowed him to work across both art films and commercial cinema in a way he believed would not have been possible elsewhere in India. He noted that he had similarly dedicated his Padma Bhushan, conferred in 2025, to the state.

"All this was possible because of Karnataka and Karnataka only," Nag said, adding that the state's film ecosystem and audience were central to his ability to build a career across different kinds of cinema.

He acknowledged producers, directors, actors and actresses, with particular emphasis on the audience. "They're a very, very educated audience and very discerning audience," he said.

Reflecting on his journey, Nag recalled being sent to Bombay at the age of 12. He said that after returning to Karnataka for a film, he found opportunities that convinced him the state was where he could build his career. He had worked in a bank as a college student and spent about five years in theatre after entering the stage at 18 before film opportunities began to arrive.

Nag said it was difficult to consistently pursue art films in Mumbai, citing the work of filmmakers such as Shyam Benegal and Satyajit Ray, but found Karnataka's atmosphere different, with audiences for both art films and sober commercial cinema. "So what I could do here, I couldn't have done anywhere else in India," he said, adding that this was why he stayed back in Bangalore and made his home there.

He also spoke of his pride in Karnataka's "sanskriti, culture and sanskara", saying the state's appreciation for the arts helped bring together the circumstances that enabled his career.

Born on September 4, 1948, in Karnataka, Nag made his acting debut in the Kannada feature film 'Sankalp' and later made his Hindi debut with 'Ankur'. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has appeared in over 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema. His body of work includes 'Malgudi Days', and in 2023 he marked the Golden Jubilee of his 50-year career in cinema.

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 is being conferred on Nag in recognition of his outstanding and invaluable contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema, following the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee of the Central Government. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced that the award will be presented to him at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on September 22 at Kevadia in Gujarat.

Nag's honours include five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards, as well as the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award. He also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Bangalore University (North).

Beyond cinema, Nag served as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and as a Member of the Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1999. During his tenure in the Assembly, he held office as Minister of State for Bangalore City Development. The Government of India honoured him with the Padma Bhushan in 2025.

Instituted in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was first presented to Devika Rani. It commemorates Dadasaheb Phalke, who directed 'Raja Harishchandra', India's first full-length feature film, in 1913. The highest award in Indian cinema, it recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.