New Delhi, 22 September (H.S.): Veteran actor Anant Nag was conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 for his outstanding contribution to Indian cinema and his remarkable cinematic journey. President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious honour to him at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony held on Tuesday at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia, Gujarat, in front of the Statue of Unity.

The award recognises Anant Nag’s distinguished career spanning more than five decades, which has inspired generations of artists. At the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony, Nag dedicated the Dadasaheb Phalke Award to the artists and technicians with whom he has worked throughout his career.

Speaking on the occasion, Nag shared memories from the early years of his acting journey. He said he was trying to fully absorb the dignity and grandeur of the ceremony. He added that he had attended very few such prestigious events in his life and was delighted to be present at the function.

Recalling his childhood, Nag said the first 12 years of his life were spent in an ashram and monastery-like environment. He was subsequently sent to Mumbai, where he received an opportunity to pursue acting. He recalled being given a role in a play titled ‘Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’, which marked the beginning of his acting journey.

Nag said that at the time, he did not regard acting as a career, as there was no way of knowing what the future held. Gradually, however, his association with acting deepened, eventually laying the foundation for his long and distinguished career in cinema.

Born on September 4, 1948, in Karnataka, Anant Nag entered the world of acting in the early 1970s. He began his film career with the Kannada feature film ‘Sankalpa’ and made his Hindi cinema debut with ‘Ankur’. Over the course of his career, he has portrayed a wide range of characters in more than 300 films across six Indian languages.

His body of work also includes the hugely popular television series ‘Malgudi Days’. He has won five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Actor. The Government of India conferred the Padma Bhushan on him in 2025.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar