Anant Nag to Receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s Highest Film Honor

Veteran actor Anant Nag will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest honor in cinema.

Nag will receive the award at a ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on Sept. 22, the Government of India announced. The award will be presented as part of the 72nd National Film Awards.

The award – instituted in 1969 in memory of Indian cinema pioneer Dadasaheb Phalke, director of “Raja Harischandra” (1913), India’s first full-length feature, who is considered the father of Indian cinema – is given for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.

Nag made his acting debut in the Kannada-language film “Sankalpa” (1973 and his Hindi-language debut in “Ankur” (1974). He has appeared in more than 300 films across Kannada, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, Tamil and Marathi cinema, with notable television work including “Malgudi Days.”

Nag has won five Filmfare Awards and five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards, along with the Karnataka Rajyotsava Award, the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award and the Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award. He also holds an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University (North).

Beyond acting, Nag served as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994 and as a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1994 to 1999, during which he held the post of Minister of State for Bangalore City Development. He received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honors, in 2025.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Nag in a post on X. “Congratulations to the legendary Anant Nag Ji on being conferred the Dadasaheb Phalke Award,” Modi wrote. “For several decades, his effortless performances, remarkable versatility and brilliance have left a very strong mark on Indian cinema, particularly Kannada cinema. In whichever role he has played, he brought rare depth and authenticity. This is indeed a richly deserved honor for a truly distinguished artist.”

Past winners of the Dadasaheb Phalke award include filmmakers Satyajit Ray, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Tapan Sinha, actors Mohanlal, Soumitra Chatterjee, Waheeda Rehman, Amitabh Bachchan, Dilip Kumar, Rajkumar, Sivaji Ganesan, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Shashi Kapoor, Asha Parekh and Rajinikanth and musicians Manna Dey, Bhupen Hazarika, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle.