Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest honour for contribution to cinema. The Government of India announced the recognition on September 16, honouring Nag’s more than five-decade journey in Indian cinema.
With the honour, Anant Nag becomes the second actor from Kannada cinema to receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. The first was legendary actor Dr Rajkumar, who received the award in 1995. Nag’s selection comes 31 years after Rajkumar’s recognition.
Born in 1948, Anant Nag began his acting journey in theatre before making his Kannada film debut with Sankalpa in 1973. He later appeared in films across several Indian languages and worked with prominent filmmakers including Shyam Benegal. His career has covered parallel cinema, mainstream Kannada films and television.
Over the decades, Nag has appeared in more than 300 films. Some of his notable Kannada films include Bayalu Daari, Kanneshwara Rama, Chandanada Gombe, Ganeshana Maduve, Gowri Ganesha, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu and Gaalipata. He also became familiar to television audiences through Malgudi Days.
His later work introduced him to younger audiences as well, including appearances in K.G.F: Chapter 1, Raajakumara and Gaalipata 2. His career has consequently spanned multiple generations of Kannada cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award recognises outstanding contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969 by the Government of India and is presented with a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of ₹10 lakh.
Anant Nag will formally receive the award at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nag, highlighting his versatility and decades-long contribution to Indian cinema, particularly Kannada cinema. The recognition adds another major national honour to Nag’s career, following his Padma Bhushan in 2025.
