Anant Nag has been named the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024 recipient, honoring a five-decade career across Indian cinema. The veteran Kannada actor will receive the award at the 72nd National Film Awards in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026, recognizing his lasting contribution to film.
Veteran actor Anant Nag has been named the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India’s highest honor in cinema. The Government of India announced the decision on September 16, 2026, following the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee.
Nag will receive the honor at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22, 2026. The award recognizes his contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema and a career spanning more than five decades.
Anant Nag’s five-decade film career
Nag has appeared in more than 300 films, including more than 250 Kannada productions, while also working in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Marathi cinema. He began his Kannada film career with Sankalp and entered Hindi cinema with Shyam Benegal’s Ankur.
His work has moved between parallel cinema and mainstream films. He also became widely known to television audiences through Malgudi Days and built a substantial career in theater.
Recognition across Kannada and Indian cinema
Nag completed 50 years in cinema in 2023. He has received five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards and was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2025 for his contribution to the arts.
The 2024 Dadasaheb Phalke Award adds India’s highest cinema honor to a career closely associated with Kannada filmmaking while extending across several major Indian-language industries.
What the Dadasaheb Phalke Award represents
Instituted in 1969, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award honors a film personality for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema. The award includes a Swarna Kamal, a shawl and a ₹15 lakh cash prize.
Nag’s formal presentation on September 22 will place his five-decade body of work at the center of the 72nd National Film Awards, marking one of the most significant recognitions of his career.
