NEW DELHI: Veteran actor Anant Nag, whose career spans Kannada cinema, Hindi films and the much-loved television series ‘Malgudi Days’, will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, the government announced on Wednesday, recognising more than five decades of work across languages.The 78-year-old actor will be presented with India’s highest cinema honour at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026. The recognition follows the Padma Bhushan conferred on him in 2025.Announcing the selection, the government said Nag’s cinematic journey had “inspired generations of artists and enriched the cultural landscape of the nation”. He was chosen on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.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, he 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.
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His honours include five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards, besides the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award and the state’s lifetime achievement award.Nag’s public life also extended beyond the screen. He served in the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and in the legislative assembly from 1994 to 1999. During his assembly tenure, he held office as minister of state for Bangalore city development.Instituted in 1969, with Devika Rani as its first recipient, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award recognises outstanding contributions to the growth and development of Indian cinema. It commemorates the filmmaker who directed ‘Raja Harishchandra’, India’s first full-length feature film, in 1913.The award carries a Swarna Kamal medallion, a shawl and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.