India, Sept. 17 -- Veteran Kannada actor Anant Nag has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi after being named the recipient of the 2024 Dadasaheb Phalke Award, saying the award selection process had earlier been influenced by "nepotism" and "favouritism" but had changed after public participation was introduced.

Nag, 78, said he was grateful to Modi for announcing the honour and dedicated the award to the people of Karnataka. The award will be presented at the National Film Awards ceremony in Kevadia, Gujarat, on September 22.

"Otherwise, it was a very special category, you know; it was given (through) nepotism and favouritism, and everything was there in this award-giving. But Modi changed it," Nag told PTI Videos.

He said Modi had so...