Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest honour in the field of cinema. The Government of India announced the decision on 16 September 2026 following the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee. The honour recognises his contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and a cinematic career spanning more than five decades.
Anant Nag will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on 22 September 2026 at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat. The President of India will present the National Film Awards during the ceremony. The 72nd National Film Awards recognise achievements in Indian cinema for the year 2024.
Born on 4 September 1948 in Karnataka, Anant Nag has established a distinguished career across several decades. According to the Press Information Bureau, he has acted in more than 300 films in Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema. His career demonstrates the reach of Indian cinema across different languages and regional film industries.
Anant Nag has been associated with both mainstream and parallel cinema. He made his acting debut in the Kannada feature film Sankalp and later made his Hindi debut with Ankur. He worked with renowned filmmaker Shyam Benegal in films associated with India’s parallel cinema movement, including Ankur, Nishant, Bhumika and Kondura. His performances contributed to the wider recognition of Kannada actors in India’s national cinema landscape.
Apart from feature films, Anant Nag also became familiar to television audiences through Malgudi Days, the acclaimed Doordarshan series based on the works of R. K. Narayan. The programme, directed by his brother Shankar Nag, became an important part of Indian television history. His work across cinema, television and theatre reflects the diverse nature of his artistic career.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award adds to Anant Nag’s long list of honours. The PIB states that he has received five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards, besides the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2025 for his contribution to the field of Art.
The selection of Anant Nag is particularly significant for Kannada cinema because much of his career has been closely associated with the Kannada film industry. His recognition also highlights the contribution of regional-language cinema to the broader Indian cinematic tradition. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award places his decades-long contribution within the national framework of recognition for Indian cinema.
The 72nd National Film Awards represent India’s continuing recognition of creative and technical excellence in cinema. Instituted in 1954, the National Film Awards cover feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema. The 2026 ceremony is also notable because the government has decided to take the National Film Awards beyond New Delhi and hold ceremonies in different parts of the country.
For government-exam aspirants, the development is important under Awards and Honours, Indian Cinema, Art and Culture, Current Affairs and National Awards. Candidates should remember that Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, that the award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards, and that the ceremony is scheduled for 22 September 2026 in Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat.
The selection of Anant Nag for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is important because the award represents the Government of India’s highest recognition for contribution to Indian cinema. His selection acknowledges more than five decades of work across films and other forms of performing arts.
Anant Nag’s career is closely connected with Kannada cinema, while his work has also extended to several other Indian languages. His national recognition draws attention to the contribution of regional film industries to the development of Indian cinema as a whole.
The announcement can be relevant to questions on national awards, Indian culture, cinema and personalities. Aspirants should particularly remember the award year, recipient, awarding ceremony and the institution associated with the honour.
The award will be presented during the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Gujarat. The ceremony itself is significant because the National Film Awards, instituted in 1954, recognise excellence across various areas of Indian filmmaking.
Anant Nag’s selection also demonstrates the lifetime-contribution nature of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. His career includes more than 300 films across multiple languages, along with notable work in television and parallel cinema.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in 1969 in honour of Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke and widely regarded as the Father of Indian Cinema. Phalke directed Raja Harishchandra, India’s first full-length feature film, in 1913. The award recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
The first Dadasaheb Phalke Award was presented to Devika Rani in 1969. Since then, the honour has been given to prominent personalities who have made sustained contributions to Indian cinema. The award therefore has a distinct place among India’s major cultural recognitions.
The National Film Awards were instituted in 1954 to recognise excellence in Indian filmmaking. Over the decades, they have honoured achievements across feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema, while reflecting India’s linguistic and cultural diversity.
Before Anant Nag’s selection, veteran Malayalam actor Mohanlal received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2023 at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony in September 2025.
Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 for his contribution to Indian cinema and his career spanning more than five decades.
The award will be presented at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony on 22 September 2026.
The ceremony will be held at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat.
Anant Nag has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest honour in the field of cinema. It recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
The award was instituted in 1969 by the Government of India to commemorate the contribution of Dadasaheb Phalke to Indian cinema.
Devika Rani was the first recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969.
Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke, is regarded as the Father of Indian Cinema. He directed Raja Harishchandra in 1913, recognised as India’s first feature film.
According to the Press Information Bureau, Anant Nag has acted in more than 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema.
Anant Nag is associated with Malgudi Days, the popular television adaptation based on the works of R. K. Narayan.
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