Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag was conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024 by President Droupadi Murmu at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on Tuesday.
The President praised Nag’s contribution to Indian cinema spanning more than five decades and described his acting as a synthesis of the finest dimensions of theatre and cinema.
President Murmu said she was pleased to honour Nag with the highest recognition in Indian cinema and recalled that she had conferred the Padma Bhushan on the veteran actor last year.
She said serious students of cinema consider Nag’s acting to be “natural, restrained and authentic”, adding that his contribution has established him as an example for future generations of artists.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was announced by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on September 16 in recognition of Nag’s outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema.
Recalling his early association with theatre, President Murmu said Nag joined the company of prominent theatre personalities at a young age. She noted that in his first play, he portrayed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, while in his second play, he played Gautam Buddha.
Nag began his film career in the early 1970s and went on to work extensively in Kannada cinema as well as Hindi and other South Indian-language films. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has appeared in over 300 films and has also made significant contributions to theatre and television.
The 78-year-old actor has been recognised with several honours, including five Filmfare Awards, five Karnataka State Best Actor Awards and the Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award.
The National Film Awards ceremony was held outside New Delhi for the first time, with Ekta Nagar in Gujarat chosen as the venue. The ceremony was organised near the Statue of Unity.
President Murmu also highlighted the collective nature of filmmaking and asked award winners to convey her appreciation to all members of their teams whose contributions helped bring their films to audiences.
She said films made in different Indian languages and regions reflect the country’s diversity, including the dreams, traditions, struggles and future possibilities of its people.
The 72nd National Film Awards also saw Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan jointly receive the Best Actor award, while Yami Gautam was honoured with the Best Actress award and Randeep Hooda received the Best Debut Film of a Director award.
The National Film Awards, instituted in 1954, recognise achievements in feature films, non-feature films and writing on cinema.
-IANS
