By Piyush M Padwale
When veteran actor Anant Nag was felicitated with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 72nd National Film Awards in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22, he took the opportunity to thank the place that influenced his career: Karnataka
While accepting the award, Nag referred to India as his birthplace, Karnataka as the land where he achieved success, and the nation as his duty.
A few days before the ceremony, when asked about the award, Nag praised Karnataka’s filmmakers, audiences, and cultural environment for allowing him to work in both parallel and mainstream cinema.
“What I have been able to do here, I wouldn’t have been able to do anywhere else in India,” he said.
His bond with Karnataka started at the beginning of his acting journey.
Nag joined theatre at the age of 18 and spent about five years performing on stage before transitioning to films.These years formed the basis for a screen career that lasted more than five decades and coincided with a transformative era in Kannada cinema.
Nag’s collaboration with directors like Shyam Benegal introduced him to the parallel cinema movement, while his work with Kannada filmmakers such as Girish Kasaravalli and GV Iyer helped establish his position in the industry.
He was also able to move between serious, character-based stories and mainstream cinema, as shown in films like Hamsa Geethe, Accident and Beladingala Baale.
His career eventually expanded beyond Kannada cinema.
He worked in Hindi films, including Shyam Benegal’s Ankur, and appeared in television through Malgudi Days, which was originally made in Kannada before being shown to audiences across various Indian languages.
Despite this, Kannada cinema remained the core of Nag’s professional life. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, therefore, also highlights the film and theatre culture that helped shape his journey.
Nag is only the second Kannada actor to receive India’s highest cinematic honor, following Dr Rajkumar.
This recognition marks over five decades of work and also emphasizes Karnataka’s theatre traditions, filmmakers, audiences, and the role of Kannada cinema in Indian film culture.
Timeline | Anant Nag’s Journey From Theatre to the Dadasaheb Phalke Award