Anant Nag Selected for Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2024

Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has been selected as the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2024, India's highest honor for contribution to cinema. The announcement was made by the Press Information Bureau on Wednesday, September 16. The award will be presented to Nag at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the actor, calling the award a "richly deserved honour for a truly distinguished artist." Nag, 78, becomes the second Kannada actor to receive the honor after the legendary Dr. Rajkumar, who was conferred the award in 1995. The selection was made on the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee. Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and other state political leaders also congratulated Nag. Shivakumar described him as an outstanding artiste whose long career made an immense contribution to Kannada and Indian cinema. Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy called it a matter of pride for Karnataka, noting that after Dr. Rajkumar, Nag has added another feather to the crown of Kannada cinema.