When the announcement rolled out, his eyes flickered with a quiet, almost theatrical joy—no grand speeches, just a simple, heartfelt thanks that made the moment feel like a stage cue.
He was quick to point out that the real fireworks came from PM Modi’s X (formerly Twitter) post. "I stopped acting for three years, and this tweet is the redemption I never knew I needed," Anant laughed, turning a quiet break into a headline‑making moment.
When asked about his film choices, he shrugged, saying he never has a favourite script. "I pick roles that come my way, give them everything, and leave the rest to the writers and directors," he explained, while nodding to the six negative characters he portrayed under Shyam Benegal’s direction that still resonate with audiences today.
Beyond the box office, he’s been sounding the alarm about a missing ingredient in contemporary cinema: enlightenment. "We should entertain, but we must also educate, inform, and uplift," he mused, hinting that this award might usher in a new era where films return to their original purpose of provoking thought as well as emotion.