From grim to comical, the endless range of Anant Nag

Actor Anant Nag at an interaction program organized by Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy in 2011.

Actors Anant Nag, Shabana Azmi and Amol Palekar in Kanneshwara Rama.

Actors Anant Nag and Rekha Rao in Hamsageethe.

Actor Anant Nag

Director Rishab Shetty and Anant Nag during the shooting of Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale Kasargodu.

Moments after Anant Nag’s name was announced for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the veteran actor responded to a question about the momentous event with his signature quip. In a beautifully matter-of-fact response to reporters, Anant Nag said he “felt normal, he was breathing, he was alive” and as far as he could tell, “nothing else was going on in his head”.

Perhaps he was somewhat prepared after receiving the Padma Bhushan. Experiencing that excitement and anticipation prepared him for the next big honor.

Anant Nag is after Dr. Rajkumar the second actor to win the highest award in Kannada cinema in the country. The thespian was among the artists who inspired Anant Nag in his early years. Anant Nag described the legendary actor as his ‘mundina doni’ – the ship that went before him – paving the way for budding actors like him. If Anant Nag was in the pond, he once said, Dr. Rajkumar was already in the sea.

With Benegal, Sathya

Before establishing himself as a reliable actor in mainstream Kannada cinema, his acting was shaped by the socially conscious Hindi films of Shyam Benegal and MS Sathya (Bara). Benegal, who cast Anant Naga in Ankur, Nishanth and Manthan, impressed with his ability to convey complex emotions with realistic elegance.

With over 50 years of experience, Anant Nag is a confident actor. After an early stint with the theatre, during which he appeared in more than 50 plays in various languages, he transitioned smoothly into cinema. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, the veteran actor said that mainstream filmmakers called his subtle portrayal “Bengali style of acting”. Despite these comments, he remained steadfast in his approach. This belief helped him transition effortlessly between roles.

“From Hamsageeth to the Ganesha series, Anant pana’s range is perfect,” says director Duniya Suri, who worked with the actor on the noir crime drama Kadipuddi’.

“Popular author Yendamoori Veerendranath questioned that one of his stories, Venello Adapilla, could not be adapted into cinema. But Sunil Kumar Desai adapted it into the classic film Beladingala Baale (1995). Anant sir’s acting made the adaptation look smooth,” says Suri.

Language Ambassador

Wide reading, perfect pronunciation and deep respect for the language made Ananth Naga more than just an outstanding Kannada actor. “I see him as an ambassador for Kannada,” says Yogaraj Bhat, who worked with the actor on the cult film Mungaru Male (2006).

As Anant Nag became popular, strong dialogue delivery became one of the hallmarks of his acting. “For someone who rose through the ranks and delivered long soliloquies in the theatre, memorizing dialogues was not a great task,” he told The Hindu.

The story goes that his famous monologue about saving Kannada government schools during the climax of Rishab Shetty’s blockbuster Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale Kasargodu (2019) was a single shot.

Prepared for risks

Anant Nag wasn’t afraid to take risks even though he knew the film was ahead of its time. His collaborations with his late brother Shankar Nag, including Accident and Minchin Ota, reflected this instinct—films that ventured beyond the familiar even as their unconventionality made them uncertain bets.

As effortlessly as he could come across in humorous roles in Phani Ramachandra’s Ganesha, the actor revealed while interacting with The Hindu that his comic timing came from practice.

“Delivering a funny line is a careful balance between running it through and slowing it down. You have to know how each word will land and the impact it will create.”

In Malgudi Days

However, for audiences outside Kannada cinemas, Anant Nag is perhaps best remembered as part of Malgudi Days, the popular TV series directed by Shankar Nag based on stories by RK Narayan. His performances in the series introduced him to audiences across India, adding another dimension to an already remarkably diverse body of work.

Anant Nag has re-emerged by collaborating with new generation creators. “He is an acting scientist,” says director KM Chaitanya, who worked with the actor on the thriller Aatagara (2015). “On camera, it would look like he didn’t do anything. But when you watch it on screen, it was pure magic.”

His performance in Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu (2016) as an old man suffering from Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be one of his best ever. For a filmmaker like Hemanth Rao, he is an actor who can transform a complex character on the page into a living, breathing presence on screen. He is an actor who has remained unique by “doing it his way”.

Published – 16 September 2026 23:30 IST