Anant Nag

The Government of India has announced the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2024, the highest honour in Indian cinema, for his contributions to the cinema world, particularly Kannada cinema. Nag made his feature film debut through Sankalpa (1973) directed by Prof. P.V Nanjaraj Urs. Sankalpa went on to win seven state awards in Karnataka. His foray into parallel cinema was through Shyam Benegal's Ankur (1974). His commercially successful Kannada films have been Bayalu Daari (1976), Kanneshwara Rama (1977), Naa Ninna Bidalaare (1979), Chandanada Gombe (1979), Benkiya Bale (1983), Hendthige Helbedi (1989), Ganeshana Maduve (1990), Gowri Ganesha (1991), Mungaru Male (2006), Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016), Raajakumara (2017), Sarkari Hi. Shaale, Kasaragodu, Koduge: Ramanna Rai (2018), K.G.F: Chapter 1 (2018), Aduva Gombe(2019), K.G.F: Chapter 2 (2022) and Gaalipata 2 (2022). He acted in Malgudi Days, a Doordarshan aired television series based on the stories of R. He is a recipient of six Filmfare Awards South and five Karnataka State Film Awards. He is the elder brother of director and actor Shankar Nag. Anant was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2025 by the Government of India.

• Name — Anant Nag • Born — 4 September 1948 • Birthplace — Shirali, Bombay Presidency, Dominion of India (present-day Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, India) • Occupation — * Actor • politician • Office1 — Minister for Bangalore Development, Government of Karnataka • Term Start1 — 6 June 1996 • Term End1 — 7 October 1999 • 1blankname1 — Chief Minister • 1namedata1 — J. H. Patel • Office2 — Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly • Constituency2 — Malleshwaram • Term Start2 — 1994 • Term End2 — 1999 • Predecessor2 — Jeevaraj Alva • Successor2 — M. R. Seetharam • Office3 — Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council • Term Start3 — 1988 • Term End3 — 1994 • Party — * Janata Party (1983–1988) • Janata Dal (1988–1999) • Janata Dal (Secular) (2003-2004) • Relatives — Shankar Nag (brother) Arundathi Nag (sister-in-law) • Awards — Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2024) Padma Bhushan (2025) Rajyotsava Award (2007)

Anant Nag was born in a Chitrapur Saraswat Brahmin family on 4 September 1948 to Anandi and Sadanand Nagarkatte in Shirali, Bhatkal taluk, Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, where he spent most of his childhood. He has an elder sister, Shyamala and his younger brother was Shankar Nag. Nag did his early schooling in a Catholic school in Ajjarkad, Udupi, Ananda Ashrama in Dakshina Kannada and Chitrapur Math in Uttara Kannada district of the erstwhile Mysore state (now Karnataka). In class 9th standard, he was sent to Mumbai for further study. He attempted to join the armed services but was rejected by the Army for being underweight and by the Air Force for poor eyesight. He was drawn towards the theatre movement of Mumbai and he was selected to act in Konkani, Kannada and Marathi-language plays which he did until he turned 22.

Anant Nag began his career with Kannada and Konkani plays in Mumbai. He went on to work in plays of Satyadev Dubey, Girish Karnad and Amol Palekar. For a period of about five years, he acted in Konkani, Kannada, Marathi and Hindi plays.

Nag married Kannada actress Gayatri on 9 April 1987.

Anant Nag was an MLC, MLA and a minister in the J. H. Patel government. He served as Bangalore Urban Development minister. In 2004, he unsuccessfully contested the Chamarajpet constituency, Bangalore assembly election from Janata Dal (Secular). He was pitched against then Chief Minister of Karnataka, S. M. Krishna from the Indian National Congress and fellow actor Mukhyamantri Chandru from Bharatiya Janata Party. On 22 February 2023 BJP, Karnataka state unit organised a programme in the presence of state president Nalin Kumar Kateel where Anant Nag was said to join BJP, but he didn't attend the programme and later the programme was cancelled.