Anant Nag to receive Dadasaheb Phalke: 10 facts about the KGF actor

Anant Nag is an Indian actor whose predominant contribution has been in Kannada cinema

Anant was born on September 4, 1948 in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka

Anant has won Filmfare Awards, Karnataka State Film Awards, Karnataka Rajyotsava Award (2007), and Karnataka State Lifetime Achievement Award

He has acted in over 300 films which include over 250 Kannada films and few films in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Marathi, Malayalam and English languages

The Government of India has announced the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024, for his contributions to the cinema world, particularly Kannada cinema

Anant Nag will receive the 2024 Dadasaheb Phalke Award on September 22, 2026, at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat

Nag made his feature film debut through Sankalpa (1973) directed by Prof PV Nanjaraj Urs. The film went on to win seven state awards in Karnataka

Anant was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2025 by the Government of India

Anant Nag was also an MLC, MLA and a minister in the JH Patel government. He served as Bengaluru Urban Development Minister

In his early life, Anant attempted to join the armed services but was rejected by the Army for being underweight and by the Air Force for poor eyesight