Padma Bhushan recipient Anant Nag on not receiving National Award for Best Actor in his 50 years - 'It never really..'

For many years, Kannadigas have been united in their demand for a national recognition for veteran actor Anant Nag, which eluded him until 2025, when he was one of the recipients of the prestigious Padma Bhushan award in the field of art. From people within the film industry to fans and others, there have been petitions and social media comments galore urging the Centre to consider Anant Nag for one of the highest civilian awards. But there had been no word until the Republic Day announcements of 2025, when he finally made it to the list.

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“I did not get the Padma Bhushan for my acting efforts; it’s a recognition for contributions in the field of art, which includes dance, music, theatre, film, etc. Even though I have been an actor for 50 years, and been a part of both theatre and movies, I have never got any recognition at a national level. I was never the recipient in the Best Actor category at the National Film Awards, which so many others have won. It never really bothered me,” he said in a podcast with Raghavendra Chitravani.

Anant Nag: Thankful to the people of Karnataka for the Padma Bhushan Award

As for the Padma award, Anant Nag said that until a few years ago, the selection criteria and the process remained a mystery to the common man. “Three years ago, the government made the nomination process open to the public, after which Kannadigas have been consistently nominating me and, hence, I got this recognition. The Padma Bhushan is the result of the continuous efforts of the people of Karnataka. The Prime Minister may have simplified the process, but it’s the people that got me the award,” said Anant Nag.

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The actor says that his eternal gratitude lies with the people of the state, whose relentless pursuit of the matter has resulted in him finally getting a national recognition. Anant Nag is only the second Kannada actor, after the late Dr Rajkumar, to get a Padma Bhushan award.