Director Nag Ashwin is gearing up for the release of his ambitious project, Kalki 2898 AD. The Prabhas-led movie is India’s first sci-fi dystopian film and also the most awaited one at the moment. The buzz around the upcoming film is massive, especially after the makers introduced Prabhas’ two roles.
While the audience is excited about the upcoming movie, Nag Ashwin has directed several other films. The director officially began his journey of making movies in 2015, but he has been in the Telugu film industry longer than that. His first job was as an assistant director in the 2008 film Nenu Meeku Telusa. He then went on to gain more filmmaking experience by working on Leader and Life Is Beautiful. However, since 2015, the director has worked with many stars in the Telugu industry.
Below is the complete list of movies directed by Nag Ashwin.
Yevade Subramanyam
Kalki 2898 AD director Nag Ashwin debuted as a filmmaker with the 2015 movie Yevade Subramanyam. Besides directing, Ashwin also wrote the coming-of-drama, which received mixed reviews from the audience. While it took some time for the viewers to enjoy the movie, it eventually became cherishable. For a directorial debut, the movie certainly did well. In his first film as a director, Ashwin worked with Telugu star Nani in the lead role. Besides the Hi Nanna star, Vijay Deverakonda and Malavika Nair played pivotal roles.
Yevade Subramanyam follows the story of a businessman overcoming several life obstacles. However, his life takes a drastic turn when he embarks on a journey to the Himalayas with his friends. The film’s official synopsis reads, “A materialistic businessman reunites with his happy-go-lucky childhood friend and embarks upon a journey of self-discovery to the Himalayas.”
The movie’s IMDb rating is 7.4 out of 10. It is currently available to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar.
Mahanati
Nag Ashwin took a huge jump in his directing career with the 2018 film Mahanati, a biopic of the late actress Savitri Ganesan. He wrote the movie with sheer brilliance, and his direction received universal acclaim. From emotions to drama to tragedies, the movie touches on several phases of Savitri’s life. The star-studded movie saw Kirti Suresh portray Savitri and Dulquer Salman playing her husband, Gemini Ganesan. The movie also had Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Deverakonda, Naga Chaitanya, Rajendra Prasad, Prakash Raj, and more.
For the unversed, Savitri was the most popular actress in South India. Throughout her career span of about three decades, she acted in 250 films. She earned the nickname Mahanati, aka the greatest actress. She was also one of the highest-paid actresses in the country, not only in South India.
While Savitri’s life was nothing short of extravagant, her biopic also worked extremely well at the box office. The movie made millions and became the highest-grossing female-centric film in South India. Kirti Suresh’s phenomenal work was well received. Mahanati has an IMDb rating of 8.4 out of 10 and is available on Amazon Prime Video.
Pitta Kathalu
Nag Ashwin participated in the 2021 Netflix anthology Pitta Kathalu with his fellow directors, B V Nandini Reddy, Sankalp Reddy, and Tharun Bhascker. The Kalki 2898 AD director helmed the segment xLife. The movie, which stars Shruti Haasan and Sanjith Hegde in the lead roles, narrates the story of love in the modern era. The short film also has Sangeeth Shobhan, Uko, Anish Kuruvilla, Thanmayi, and Dayanand Reddy as supporting characters.
Its official synopsis reads, “The callous founder of a virtual reality company dismisses warnings that his product is destroying love until his own heart is captured by an employee.”
The anthology presented different approaches to love. The remaining three segments are titled Ramula, Meera, and Pinky.
Kalki 2898 AD
Now, all eyes are on Nag Ashwin’s Kalki 2898 AD. Bankrolled by Vyjayanthi Movies, the sci-fi dystopian film is among the most expensive projects in Indian cinema. Besides Prabhas, the movie boasts an ensemble cast from different industries. Deepika Padukone is the leading lady, while Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan plays the crucial role of Ashwatthama. His character has been introduced via a short trailer that gives a sneak peek into the movie’s plot. Moreover, Disha Patani plays a supporting character, and Tamil star Kamal Haasan has an extended cameo.
Many stars, including Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Deverakonda, are also expected to make special appearances in the movie.
Prabhas will play the role of Bhairava in the upcoming movie. Besides the lead character, he gives the voice to Bujji, Bhairava’s AI assistant.
During a recent event, Nag Ashwin revealed the time period on which Kalki 2898 AD is based on. He allegedly said, “Our film starts in Mahabharat and it ends in 2898. That’s the title of the film; it’s called Kalki 2898 AD. It spans 6,000 years of distance and time. So trying to create worlds that are there here, imagining what it could be like, still keeping it Indian and not make it look like a Blade Runner.”
Klaki 2898 AD will be released on June 27, 2024.
