Anant Nag’s Phalke Award matter of pride for Kannadigas: CM Shivakumar

• Anant Nag has been chosen for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India's highest recognition for contribution to cinema

• Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar congratulates the veteran actor, celebrating his contribution to Kannada and Indian cinema

• Nag, 78, has acted in more than 270 films and was also part of the theatre movement and landmark television series Malgudi Days

Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, prompting congratulations from Karnataka chief minister D.K. Shivakumar.

The CM described the award as a matter of pride for Kannadigas and praised Nag's contribution to Indian cinema, particularly Kannada films. 'Heartfelt congratulations to Shri Anant Nag. His artistic journey will forever inspire future generations,' Shivakumar said in a post on X.

He said the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was among the highest honours in Indian cinema and that Nag's distinctive performances and long artistic career had made a significant contribution to the industry.

Nag, 78, has acted in more than 270 films, primarily in Kannada as well as Hindi, during a career spanning five decades. He is also a renowned theatre personality and has worked across Kannada, Hindi, Konkani and Marathi productions.

From theatre to parallel cinema

Born and raised in a religious family in Bhatkal in coastal Karnataka, Nag was sent to Mumbai for higher education. His early exposure to literature and storytelling sparked his interest in the arts.

He initially found himself out of place in Mumbai but gradually became involved in its theatre movement. For around five years, he acted in Konkani, Hindi and Marathi plays and came into contact with theatre personalities including Satyadev Dubey, Girish Karnad and Amol Palekar.

Nag made his film debut with the 1973 Kannada film Sankalpa and went on to become an important figure in the parallel cinema movement of the 1970s and 1980s.

His filmography includes Kannada films such as Bayalu Daari, Na Ninna Bidalaare, Gauri Ganesha, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu and KGF Chapter 1. He also appeared in a number of Hindi parallel cinema films, including Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, Bhumika, Kondura, Kalyug and Gehrayee.

Nag reached an even wider television audience through the popular Doordarshan series Malgudi Days, based on the works of R.K. Narayan and directed by his filmmaker brother Shankar Nag.

Nag also had a stint in electoral politics and served as a minister in the Karnataka government headed by J.H. Patel.

He has spoken about being influenced by the JP movement at its peak and, in 2004, unsuccessfully contested the Chamarajpet Assembly constituency in Bengaluru on a Janata Dal (Secular) ticket. Despite his political career, Nag remained active in cinema and theatre.

He will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on 22 September.

Last year's Dadasaheb Phalke Award was given to Malayalam superstar Mohanlal. The 2024 award is being announced as part of the delayed National Film Awards cycle, which was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Instituted in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award honours the contribution of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, widely regarded as the father of Indian cinema. Phalke directed Raja Harishchandra, India's first full-length feature film, in 1913.

With PTI inputs