I was surprised, says Anant Nag on Dadasaheb Phalke Award

Veteran actor Anant Nag says he was pleasantly surprised on being announced as the recepient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024

Veteran actor Anant Nag has been announced as the recipient of the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Nag said he was “surprised” to learn that the Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tweeted about it and announced it on social media. “I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. When people said that the Prime Minister had tweeted it; I was doubly happy.”

Anant Nag

Anant Nag, who is best known for his films such as Ankur (1974), Accident (1985), Beladingala Baale (1995) and Minchina Ota (1980), to name a few, mentioned that none of this would have been possible without the love and acceptance he has received from the people of Karnataka. “It is the soil and cultural atmosphere of Karnataka that made me feel very much at home, and I felt that this is the ground to achieve whatever I have to... This is my karmabhoomi. This was all about 50 years ago. That is why I dedicate last year’s Padma Bhushan and this Dadasaheb Phalke Award to Karnataka and Kannadigas. I was in Mumbai, too, for 18 years, where I began my theatre career at Karnataka Kala Kendra,” he mentioned.

With more than five decades of experience, the veteran said that his art and craft were always appreciated. “I was called to work in all the neighbouring states. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, I have worked in all their languages, but I went there as an ambassador of Karnataka,” he shared. Having mentioned that he is honoured to see these recognitions come his way, the 78-year-old actor said that he has never really been the one to work for an award. “One never really works for an award. Yes, we want to do well in our careers, but none of us works for an award, as it is made out to be. And of course, there is lobbying and other kinds of activities to get an award, but that is different, and that is not from an actor’s point of view,” he explained.

Anant in his previous statements to the media, also mentioned that Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi was responsible for getting rid of nepotism and favouritism. Commenting further, he added, “Yes, that is true. There are so many fields of activity almost everywhere favouritism and nepotism stopped after 2014, when he took over... From A to Z, in every field, he has ensured that people [get recognised]. He said suggest names from your own surroundings who deserve the recognition. He has done a great job in that respect also.”

Anant also went on to admit that a certain section of the internet is criticising him for supporting PM Narendra Modi: “People say that you are flattering him, doing chamchagiri. I don’t care. The more they abuse, the more it shows their calibre, that’s all. They are not able to do anything except this,” said the actor.

More than 30 years ago, in 1995, Kannada legend Dr Rajkumar received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Anant Nag is only the second Kannada actor to receive the honour. Ask him why the long gap, and he said, “As far as I understand, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award comes at the fag-end of one’s career. Nobody gets it in their 20s, 30s or even in the 60s. It comes much later. The point is that they have recognised many people in our country.”

Congratulating actor Anant Nag on this prestigious award, Chaluve Gowda, co-founder, Hombale Films, said, “Anant Nag sir receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is a proud moment for Kannada cinema. For generations, his work has shown us that great acting is not about being larger than life, but about bringing truth, depth and authenticity to every character. His five-decade-plus journey is a remarkable part of the history of Indian cinema.”