After Dadasaheb Phalke win, Anant Nag says PM Modi ended award favouritism

Anant Nag said Prime Minister Narendra Modi changed award selection by inviting public participation. The veteran actor said the shift ended favouritism and dedicated the honour to Karnataka.

Veteran actor Anant Nag, named as the recipient of the 2024 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, stated that "nepotism" and "favouritism" previously influenced national honour selections, crediting Prime Minister Narendra Modi with transforming the process by encouraging wider public participation.

Speaking to PTI, Nag expressed his gratitude to the Prime Minister for the announcement and dedicated India's highest cinematic honour to the people of Karnataka. Criticising past practices, the veteran artist remarked that prestigious awards were earlier reserved for a select category of individuals through political and personal patronage, adding that the selection mechanism has undergone a major shift under the current administration.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated the 78-year-old actor, highlighting the "rare depth and authenticity" of his work across a career spanning nearly five decades. Nag, who emerged as a pivotal figure in the parallel cinema movement of the 1970s with acclaimed Shyam Benegal features such as Ankur, Nishant, and Bhumika, is also widely remembered for his role in the television adaptation of Malgudi Days. The recipient of the Padma Shri in 2025, Nag was most recently seen on screen in KGF: Chapter 1.

Across the late 1970s and 1980s, Nag transitioned into mainstream commercial cinema without losing his art-house credibility. He starred alongside leading actors of Kannada cinema in numerous landmark films, including Bayalu Daari (1976), Kanneshwara Rama (1977), Minchina Ota (1980), and Ganeshana Maduve (1990).

Beyond his cinematic achievements, Nag was actively involved in Karnataka state politics. He served as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) and held the portfolio of Minister of State for Urban Development during the Janata Dal administration in the late 1990s.

In May 2025, Anant Nag also received the Padma Shri Award from President Droupadi Murmu.