Nag Ashwin

Nag Ashwin was born on 23 April 1986 in a Telugu family to Jayaram and Jayanthi Reddy, who are both doctors.^[4] 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.^[5][4]

Ashwin studied in The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, Hyderabad.^[6] He was classmates and friends with Rana Daggubati since class one.^[7] 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.^[8]

Nag Ashwin began his career in the film industry as an assistant director, working on the 2008 film Nenu Meeku Telusa?.^[9] 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.^[6][10]

Ashwin made his directorial debut with Yevade Subramanyam (2015), a film backed by Vyjayanthi Movies.^[11] 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.^[12] 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.^[11] The film was commercially successful.^[13][14]

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.^[15][16] It was showcased in the Indian Panorama Mainstream section at the 49th International Film Festival of India^[17] 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.^[18][19] Nag Ashwin received the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the 66th Filmfare Awards South.^[20]

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.^[21] 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.^[22] The cast includes Deepika Padukone, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan.^[23] 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.^[24] Deadline Hollywood called it "terrific, cathartic fun" and anticipated more editions in the "Kalki Cinematic Universe," applauding Ashwin's work.^[25]

In December 2015, Nag Ashwin married Priyanka Dutt, the second daughter of producer C. Aswani Dutt of Vyjayanthi Movies.^[26] The couple has a son, Rishi.^[27]