Anant Nag dedicates Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Karnataka, colleagues and audiences

Kevadia, Sep 22 : Veteran actor Anant Nag, whose career has spanned more than five decades across theatre, cinema and television, was presented with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony held at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on Tuesday.

Accepting the country's highest cinema honour, Nag described the recognition as a "great honour" and said he felt "very, very lucky" to receive the award after a long and diverse career in Indian cinema.

"I thank you very much. It is a great honour to be here with you all," Nag said in his acceptance speech.

Reflecting on his journey, Nag recalled that theatre served as his training ground before he entered films. He said he spent about five years performing in numerous plays before getting an opportunity to work in cinema, an experience that changed the course of his life.

The actor particularly acknowledged the role of Karnataka in shaping his career. Although he subsequently worked in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi films, he said Kannada cinema provided him with his biggest opportunities.

"I went there as an ambassador for Karnataka," Nag said while recalling his work in other Indian languages. He added that he would not have taken up those assignments without the opportunities and support he received from people in the Kannada film industry.

"Karnataka films gave me the greatest of opportunities," he said.

Nag made his film debut with the Kannada movie Sankalp, while Shyam Benegal's Ankur marked his entry into Hindi cinema. Over the years, he appeared in more than 300 films across six Indian languages, working in both mainstream and parallel cinema.

He also became a familiar face to television audiences through the iconic series Malgudi Days, adding another significant chapter to his long career.

Nag has received five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards. His other honours include the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 2025.

In his acceptance speech, Nag said the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was not solely a recognition of his individual contribution but also belonged to the many people who had supported him throughout his career.

He expressed gratitude to his employees and associates, assistant and associate directors, filmmakers and other colleagues who had worked with him over the years.

Nag also thanked the millions of viewers who had embraced the characters he portrayed and supported his work throughout his career.

Instituted in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest honour in cinema and recognises outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. It is named after Dadasaheb Phalke, widely regarded as the father of Indian cinema.