India, Sept. 17 -- Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for democratising the film awards process in India, saying he removed nepotism and favouritism from the process. The veteran actor has been announced as the recipient of the 2024 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest honour in cinema.

On Wednesday, hours after his name was announced as the recipient of the honour, the actor told PTI, "It was a very special category, you know; it was given nepotism and favouritism, and everything was there in this award-giving, as well. But Modi changed it. Modi was the only person who asked people to please recommend the name they had in their mind. That was the first time he brought it out into the public."

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