Anant Nag at 75: Look back on a multitude of roles

The actor, who just won the Prajavani Cine Sammana for lifetime achievement, has excelled both in arthouse and commercial cinema

‘Ganeshana Madhuve’ (1990)

‘Accident’ (1985)

'Hamsageethe' (1975)

'Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu' (2016)

In the recently concluded Prajavani Kannada Cine Sammana, while the limelight fell on up-and-coming film personalities and a few known faces, the old guard managed to hold its own. Veteran actor Anant Nag bagged the ‘lifetime achievement award.’ For the actor who will soon turn 75 and has acted in hundreds of films cutting across languages, the honour is richly deserved.

His fame revolves around his versatility and realistic acting, which have endeared him to film aficionados. His golden jubilee as an actor being celebrated this year – his debut film was ‘Sankalpa’ (1973) is testament to his longevity. Such a long career has helped different generations to forge their own bonds with him.

‘Hamsageethe’ - A swansong to get things started

Having boarded the bus through ‘Sankalpa’ (1973), Nag’s next stop in Kannada was at Chitradurga, to don the robes of the legendary Bhairavi Venkatasubbaiah in G V Iyer’s ‘Hamsa Geethe’ (1975), a film adaptation of TaRaSu’s novel named the same. The endearing tale of a musician, who pursues an eternal quest for musical perfection but is time and again bogged down by human frailties, only to overcome them ultimately, was brilliantly portrayed by the youngster with his subtle and understated acting. It began the protagonist’s career with critical acclaim.

Bayaludaari to Kavaludaari

Nag’s career at different points seems to have drawn inspiration from Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan, the two superstars of Hindi cinema. ‘Bayaludaari’ (1976), where Nag first tasted commercial success, bears an unmistakable resemblance to ‘Aradhana’ (1969), which catapulted Kaka to the zenith. Both play happy-going young pilots madly in love with characters played by actors more senior and established than they themselves at the time (Sharmila Tagore opposite Khanna and Kalpana opposite Nag). The pilots are perceived as dead in war and their fiancés, pregnant before marriage, deal with the challenges of raising their children outside marriage. While Khanna-Tagore became a household name with several successful family dramas to follow, Nag hitched a similar camaraderie with Lakshmi, that turned legendary.

However, Nag’s second innings as a character artiste was built on the Amitabh Bachchan mould. His most memorable recent films include ‘Godi Banna Sadharana Mykattu’ (2016), ‘Sarkari Hiriya Prathamika Shaale, Kasaragodu’ (2017) and ‘Kavaludaari’ (2019). These roles with Nag as a senior bear a resemblance to Big B’s second stint.

‘Kavaludaari’, which showcases a retired policeman returning to solve his most absorbing case, is reminiscent of ‘Pink’ where an aged Bachchan dons the black coat to fight for justice. However, while Khanna and Bachchan soon went back to their first loves, Nag’s flirtations with different ideologies in accordance with those of the ruling dispensation have irked many of his admirers.

He owes a lot to parallel cinema as it is here that he was moulded into a complete actor. His roles in films by Shyam Benegal such as ‘Ankur’ (1974), ‘Manthan’ (1976), ‘Kalyug’ (1981) and M S Sathyu’s ‘Bara’ (1982) earned him critical acclaim in plenty. His partnership with his sibling Shankar Nag (1954-90) gave memorable hits. ‘Minchina Ota’ (1981) directed by the younger Nag was well ahead of its times both in terms of the narrative and the techniques used.

His versatility can also be seen in his commercially successful films as the protagonist, with the canvas also spreading into the comedy genre with films such as ‘Gowri Ganesha’ (1991), ‘Ganeshana Maduve’ (1990) and ‘Golmaal Radhakrishna’ (1990). Nag’s appetite for films has not slowed down much with age and he seems ever-ready for a challenging role under a capable director. Thus, he continues to enthral audiences even as he enters his sixth decade in the field.