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Nag Ashwin

Singireddy Naga Aswin (born 23 April 1986)[1][2] commonly known as Nag Ashwin, is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his work in Telugu cinema. He is the recipient of a National Film Award, a Nandi Award, and a Filmfare Award. A graduate of the New York Film Academy, Ashwin began his career as an assistant director to Sekhar Kammula. He made his directorial debut in 2015 with the coming-of-age film Yevade Subramanyam, which earned him the Nandi Award for Best Debut Director.

Nag Ashwin
Ashwin in 2023
Born
Singireddy Naga Aswin

(1986-04-23) 23 April 1986 (age 38)
Nagarkurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India (now in Telangana, India)
Alma materNew York Film Academy
Occupation(s)Film director, screenwriter
Years active2015–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2015)​
Children1
RelativesC. Aswani Dutt (Father-in-law)
Swapna Dutt (Sister-in-law)

He gained widespread acclaim for directing Mahanati (2018), a biopic of actress Savitri, which became the highest-grossing female-led South Indian film and won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu as well as the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu. In 2024, Ashwin ventured into big-budget cinema with the science fiction film Kalki 2898 AD.

Early life

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Nag Ashwin was born on 23 April 1986 in a Telugu family to Jayaram and Jayanthi Reddy, who are both doctors.[3] He has a younger sister, Nikhila, who is also a doctor. Ashwin's mother hails from Visakhapatnam and runs J. J. Hospital, along with his father, in Hyderabad.[4][3]

Ashwin studied in The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Hyderabad.[5] He was classmates and friends with Rana Daggubati since class one.[6] He got his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He then did a film direction course at the New York Film Academy.[7]

Career

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Ashwin (third from right) receiving an award from Venkaiah Naidu (third from left), the Vice President of India in 2018

Nag Ashwin began his career in the film industry as an assistant director, working on the 2008 film Nenu Meeku Telusa?.[8] He later worked as assistant director to Sekhar Kammula in Leader (2010) and Life Is Beautiful (2012) and acted in minor roles in all three films.[5][9]

Ashwin made his directorial debut with Yevade Subramanyam (2015), a film backed by Vyjayanthi Movies.[10] The plot centers around Subramanyam (played by Nani), a corporate professional who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. The film also stars Malvika Nair, Vijay Deverakonda, and Ritu Varma. It was notable for its extensive filming at Everest Base Camps in Nepal, making it the first Indian film to be shot at that location.[11] Released on 21 March 2015, Yevade Subramanyam received mostly positive reviews. Critics praised Nani's performance and the film's message-oriented script but criticized the slow-paced narration.[10] The film was commercially successful.[12][13]

In May 2016, Nag Ashwin announced his next film would be a biopic of the Indian actress Savitri, titled Mahanati. He spent six months researching her life, reading articles and books, and interviewing journalists and actors who knew her. Backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, principal photography began in May 2017 and concluded by March 2018. Mahanati was released on 9 May 2018 to critical and commercial acclaim, winning several awards.[14][15] It was showcased in the Indian Panorama Mainstream section at the 49th International Film Festival of India[16] and received the "Equality in Cinema Award" at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. At the 66th National Film Awards, it won Best Feature Film in Telugu, among other accolades.[17][18] Nag Ashwin received the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the 66th Filmfare Awards South.[19]

In February 2020, Ashwin announced a science fiction action film to mark the 50th anniversary of Vyjayanthi Movies. Prabhas was announced as the lead actor, with the working title Project K.[20] However, production was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming began in July 2021 at Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad, on a ₹600 crore budget, making it the most expensive Indian film to date.[21] The cast includes Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan.[22] The film, later titled Kalki 2898 AD, was the first Indian film presented at San Diego Comic-Con's Hall H on 20 July 2023. Released worldwide on 27 June 2024, the film received positive reviews from critics and audiences. Collider praised the film as a "unique sci-fi epic" with strong performances by Prabhas and Bachchan and an impressive screenplay by Ashwin.[23] Deadline Hollywood called it "terrific, cathartic fun" and anticipated more editions in the "Kalki Cinematic Universe," applauding Ashwin's work.[24]

Personal life

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In December 2015, Nag Ashwin married Priyanka Dutt, the second daughter of producer C. Aswani Dutt of Vyjayanthi Movies.[25] The couple has a son, Rishi.[26]

Media image

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Nag Ashwin appreciated the film The Greatest of All Time for its new theme and portrayal of characters.[27]

Filmography

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Key
† Denotes films that have not yet been released
Directed Features
Year Title Notes Ref.
2015 Yevade Subramanyam
2018 Mahanati
2021 Pitta Kathalu Segment: xLife [28][29]
2024 Kalki 2898 AD
Other works
Year Title Credit Role Notes Ref.
2008 Nenu Meeku Telusa? Assistant director & actor Barmani's assistant credited as Ashwin
2010 Leader Motorcycle rider Special appearance in "Hey CM" song [30]
2012 Life Is Beautiful Gold phase guy
2021 Jathi Ratnalu Producer - [31]

Television

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List of film credits as assistant director
Year Title Credit Network Ref.
2024 Bujji & Bhairava Creator/Director Amazon Prime Video [32]

Awards and nominations

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List of awards and nominations received by Nag Ashwin
Title Awards Category Result Ref.
Yevade Subramanyam Nandi Awards Best Debut Director Won [33]
5th SIIMA Award Best Director – Telugu Nominated [34]
Mahanati 66th Filmfare Awards South Best Director Won [19]
66th National Film Awards Best Feature Film – Telugu Won [18]
8th SIIMA Award Best Director Nominated [35]
Zee Cine Awards Telugu Best Director Won [36]
Ramineni Foundation Awards Best Director Won [37]

References

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  1. ^ "Nag Ashwin Birthday Special: రెండే… కానీ ప్రతిభలో మేటి!". NTV (in Telugu). 23 April 2022. Retrieved 29 June 2024.
  2. ^ "55th IFFI: Indian Panorama announces List of Films to be screened". Press Information Bureau. 24 October 2024. Retrieved 27 October 2024. In the mainstream section, the director of Kalki 2898 AD is referred as Singireddy Nagaaswin.
  3. ^ a b "PIX: Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu at Nag Ashwin-Priyanka's wedding reception". Rediff. 8 December 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Dr. L. Jayanthi Reddy". JJ Hospital. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  5. ^ a b Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (9 February 2015). "An eye for story". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  6. ^ "Rana Happy on Deverakonda's Achievement". M9.news. 13 October 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2024.
  7. ^ "Nag Ashwin to Tharun Bhascker, 7 Telugu directors who studied abroad". The News Minute. 25 December 2020. Archived from the original on 25 December 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  8. ^ "Nenu Meeku Telusa – Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2018. [unreliable source?]
  9. ^ "This film came at the right time". The Hindu. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  10. ^ a b Hooli, Shekhar H. (22 March 2015). "Yevade Subramanyam Review Roundup: Critics have Mixed Opinions on Nag Ashwin's Work". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 15 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Yevade Subramanyam, the first Telugu film shot in Everest". Times of India. 2 December 2014. Archived from the original on 31 December 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
  12. ^ "4 Years of 'Yevade Subramanyam': Interesting trivia that you probably didn't know". The Times of India. 22 March 2019. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  13. ^ "Tollywood Top 10 Box Office Collection Movies In 2015". T2BLive. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
  14. ^ "Nag Ashwin's next a biopic on legendary actress Savitri". The Indian Express. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017.
  15. ^ "Dulquer surrenders to his role: Nag Ashwin". The Times of India. 28 July 2017. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017.
  16. ^ "IFFI 2018 Announces Official Selection for Indian Panorama Film Section". 31 October 2018. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
  17. ^ "66th National Film Awards winners' list: 'Andhadhun', 'KGF', 'Padmaavat' win the prestigious award – Times of India". The Times of India. 9 August 2019. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  18. ^ a b "66th National Film Awards: Full winners list". India Today. Ist. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Winners of the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare. Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  20. ^ "Prabhas 21: Director Nag Ashwin Presents 'Heroes Behind the Screen' in New Update for Film". News18. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  21. ^ K, Janani (24 July 2021). "Prabhas gives first clap for Amitabh Bachchan as Nag Ashwin's sci-fi film goes on floors". India Today. Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  22. ^ "Prabhas and Deepika Padukone to star in Nag Ashwin's film". The Indian Express. 19 July 2020. Archived from the original on 8 June 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  23. ^ Ewing, Jeff (28 June 2024). "'Kalki 2898 AD' Review: This Ambitious Sci-Fi Epic Builds a World Worth Seeing". Collider. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  24. ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (1 July 2024). "'Kalki 2898 AD' Review: Prabhas Epic Is Terrific, Cathartic Fun". Deadline. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  25. ^ "PIX: Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu at Nag Ashwin-Priyanka's wedding reception". Rediff. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  26. ^ "It's a boy for Nag Ashwin & Priyanka! – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Nag Ashwin watches and appreciates The GOAT Telugu: Thalapathy Vijay". YouTube. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  28. ^ "Pitta Kathalu teaser: Netflix's first Telugu film looks intriguing". The Indian Express. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  29. ^ "NetFilx Pitta Kathalu : తెలుగులో మొదటిసారిగా నలుగురు హీరోయిన్స్‌తో నెట్‌ఫ్లిక్స్ అలాంటీ వెబ్ సిరీస్.. టీజర్ విడుదల." News18 Telugu. 20 January 2021. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  30. ^ Leader Telugu Full Movie | Rana Daggubati | Sekhar Kammula | Mickey J Meyer. TVNXT Telugu. 7 April 2021. Event occurs at 1:59:04. Archived from the original on 22 February 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2024 – via YouTube.
  31. ^ "'Mahanati' director Nah Ashwin turns producer". The Hindu. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  32. ^ Malhotra, Rahul (30 May 2024). "'Bujji & Bhairava' Trailer Enters the Retro-Futuristic World of 'Kalki 2898 AD'". Collider. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  33. ^ "2015 Nandi Awards". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  34. ^ "SIIMA 2016 Telugu movie nominations revealed; 'Baahubali,' 'Srimanthudu' lead the list5". International Business Times. Archived from the original on 26 May 2016.
  35. ^ "SIIMA 2019 winners full list: Dhanush, Trisha, Prithviraj win big". Indian Express. 17 August 2019. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2019.
  36. ^ "Tollywood's first and biggest Awards event of the Year on Zee Telugu". Zee News. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
  37. ^ "Tollywood's first and biggest Awards event of the Year on Zee Telugu". Zee News. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
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