When Anant Nag gave the title of Shyam Benegal’s debut film

“During my theatre stint in Mumbai, Amol Palekar introduced me to Satyadev Dubey, a theatre giant, who, in turn, took me to Benegal,” Anant Nag told The Hindu. Anant Nag and Karnad worked with Benegal in the highly acclaimed Hindi films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), and Manthan (1976). Anant Nag also worked in Benegal’s other Hindi classics, such as Bhumika (1977), Kondura (1978), and Kalyug (1981).

Shyam Benegal, one of the prominent filmmakers of India’s Parallel Cinema movement, collaborated with Girish Karnad and Anant Nag, two legendary figures from the field of theatre and cinema from Karnataka. A day after Benegal’s demise at 90, Anant Nag recollected his association with the writer-director. Incidentally, Benegal’s family hails from Udupi district in Karnataka.

“During my theatre stint in Mumbai, Amol Palekar introduced me to Satyadev Dubey, a theatre giant, who, in turn, took me to Benegal,” Anant Nag told The Hindu. Anant Nag and Karnad worked with Benegal in the highly acclaimed Hindi films Ankur (1974), Nishant (1975), and Manthan (1976). Anant Nag also worked in Benegal’s other Hindi classics, such as Bhumika (1977), Kondura (1978), and Kalyug (1981).

“I had finished acting in the Kannada film Sankalpa (directed by P.V. Nanjaraje Urs) when Dubey suggested Benegal my name for the lead role for his debut project. Benegal hadn’t seen me perform. He just saw my front and side profiles and finalised me as the protagonist,” Anant Nag said with a chuckle.

Talking about the film’s title, the veteran actor said, “Benegal had named the film Seedling. However, he later decided to keep a Hindi title. He asked people around, but not many knew the Hindi equivalent of seedling. Since I grew up in mathas and ashrams, I was well-versed in Sanskrit. I knew Ankur was the correct translation for seedling, but I was too shy to tell Benegal. One day, he announced ₹1000 for the title, and that’s when I suggested the name. Ultimately, he was happy with the title, and I won the cash prize.”

Working with Benegal gave him the right training to grow as an actor, said Anant Nag. “His heroes were never conventional. Their characters had mixed shades, and it was challenging to do justice to them,” he said. “Benegal loved to make rational films on pertinent themes. Perhaps, Kondura was the only film of Benegal with spiritual and philosophical layers,” he noted.

Even after he moved to Bengaluru, Anant Nag said he maintained a cordial relationship with the auteur. “Benegal lived in Koramangala in Bengaluru briefly before shifting back to Mumbai. During one of his visits to Bengaluru, I arranged a meeting with reporters. He called me a talented actor in front of the media but said he was surprised that I had joined politics,” said Anant Nag. “I quipped jokingly that it was a bigger surprise that somebody who made sharp political dramas saw my move as unusual.”