Nag Ashwin

Last updated

Nag Ashwin
Nag Ashwin by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Ashwin in 2023
Born
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2008–present
Spouse Priyanka Dutt
Children1

Nag Ashwin Reddy [1] is an Indian film director and screenwriter known for his works in Telugu cinema. He made his directorial debut in 2015 with the coming-of-age philosophical drama film Yevade Subramanyam .

Contents

In 2018, he directed the biographical film Mahanati , starring Keerthy Suresh as yesteryear actress Savitri. [2] At the 66th National Film Awards 2019, the film won accolades including the Best Feature Film in Telugu. [3] [4] Nag Ashwin received the Filmfare Award for Best Director – Telugu at the 66th Filmfare Awards South. [5]

Mahanati was showcased in the Indian Panorama Mainstream section at the 49th International Film Festival of India, [6] and has also garnered the "Equality in Cinema Award" at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. [7]

Early life

Nag Ashwin was born in a Telugu family to Jayaram and Jayanthi Reddy in Hyderabad, Telangana, both of whom are doctors. He has a younger sister, Nikhila Reddy, who is also a doctor. [8] He studied in Hyderabad Public School and received bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication. [9] He then did a Film Direction course at the New York Film Academy. [10]

Career

Early career

Ashwin (third from right) receiving an award from Venkaiah Naidu (third from left), the Vice President of India in 2018 The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu presenting the 'Ramineni Awards 2018' to Film Director, Shri Nag Ashwin Reddy, instituted by Dr. Ramineni Foundation, in Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh.JPG
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 as an assistant director for the film Nenu Meeku Telusa? . [11] He then proceeded to work as an assistant director to Sekhar Kammula in Leader (2010) and Life Is Beautiful (2012) and acted in minor roles in all three films. [12] [13]

Debut and critical acclaim

He made his directorial debut with Yevade Subramanyam (2015), which received mixed-to-positive reviews. It was a sleeper-hit and gained a cult following post-release. In May 2016, he announced that his next film would be a biopic of the Indian actress, Savitri, titled Mahanati . He spent six months researching about her life by reading articles and books, in addition to meeting old journalists and actors that associated with her.

Backed by Vyjayanthi Movies, principal photography for the film began in May 2017 and was completed by March 2018. The film released on 9 May 2018 garnering both critical and commercial acclaim, and went on to win several awards.

In February 2020, he announced his next project, a science fiction action film, with the working title, Project K , with Vyjayanthi Movies. However, the production was delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming began in July 2021, with a futuristic set erected at Ramoji Film City, in Hyderabad. Being produced on a 600 crore budget, it is one of the most expensive Indian film to be made. Prabhas was roped in as the lead actor, following which, Deepika Padukone was signed to play opposite him. [14] In October, Amitabh Bachchan was confirmed to be playing a full-length role. In May 2022, Disha Patani joined the cast and in June 2023, Kamal Haasan was confirmed to be a part of the film. The music is being composed by Santhosh Narayanan, and cinematography by Djordje Stojiljkovic. It is slated to release on 9 May 2024. [15]

Personal life

In December 2015, Ashwin married Priyanka Dutt, the second daughter of producer C. Ashwini Dutt, of Vyjayanthi Movies. [8] The couple has a son, Rishi. [16]

Filmography

Key
†Denotes films that have not yet been released
List of Nag Ashwin film credits
YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotesRef.
2015 Yevade Subramanyam YesYesNo
2018 Mahanati YesYesNo
2021 Pitta Kathalu YesYesNo Netflix anthology film; Segment: xLife [17] [18]
Jathi Ratnalu NoNoYes [19]
2024 Kalki 2898 AD †YesYesNoPost-production [20]

As assistant director

List of film credits as assistant director
YearTitleRoleNotesRef.
2008 Nenu Meeku Telusa Barmani's assistant
2010 Leader Motorcycle passengerAppeared in "Hey CM" song [21]
2012 Life Is Beautiful Gold phase guy

Awards and nominations

List of awards and nominations received by Nag Ashwin
FilmAwardsCategoryResultRef.
Yevade Subramanyam Nandi Awards Best Debut Director Won [22]
5th SIIMA Award Best DirectorNominated [23]
Mahanati 66th Filmfare Awards South Best Director Won [5]
66th National Film Awards Best Feature Film – Telugu Won [4]
8th SIIMA Award Best DirectorNominated [24]
Zee Cine Awards TeluguBest DirectorWon [25]
Ramineni Foundation Awards Best DirectorWon [26]

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<i>Mahanati</i> 2018 film directed by Nag Ashwin

Mahanati is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the life of actress Savitri. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin, and produced by Priyanka Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema. The film features Keerthy Suresh as Savitri while Dulquer Salmaan plays Savitri's husband Gemini Ganesan. The film also stars Samantha Akkineni and Vijay Deverakonda, along with Rajendra Prasad, Prakash Raj, and Bhanupriya who appear in supporting roles. Naga Chaitanya and Mohan Babu, among others, play guest appearances. The plot follows Savitri's life, depicting her turbulent rise to prominence, marriage with Ganesan, and subsequent fall from grace, which is viewed from the perspective of a journalist and a photographer, played by Samantha and Deverakonda respectively.

<i>Mahanati</i> (soundtrack) 2018 soundtrack album by Mickey J. Meyer

Mahanati is the soundtrack album composed by Mickey J. Meyer for the 2018 Tollywood film of the same name written and directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by C. Ashwini Dutt, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka Dutt under the banners Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema. The album consists of six tracks with Sirivennela Sitaramasastri and Ramajogayya Sastry penning the lyrics. The film is based on the life of Indian actress Savitri, played by Keerthy Suresh while Dulquer Salmaan, in his Telugu debut, plays the role of Gemini Ganesan. The soundtrack album released digitally on 1 May 2018 on the Aditya Music label.

<i>Kalki 2898 AD</i> Upcoming Indian sci-fi film directed by Nag Ashwin

Kalki 2898 – A.D is an upcoming 2024 Indian epic science-fiction dystopian film, based on Hindu scriptures and is set in a post-apocalyptic world in 2898 AD. The film is directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by C. Aswani Dutt, under Vyjayanthi Movies. The film is produced in the Telugu film industry, and is shot simultaneously in Telugu and Hindi languages. The film stars Prabhas in the lead role alongside Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Deepika Padukone, Disha Patani and others in prominent roles.

References

  1. ↑ "Vice Prez presents Ramineni foundation awards". Business Standard. 7 October 2018. Archived from the original on 7 April 2023. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  2. ↑ "Nag Ashwin's next a biopic on legendary actress Savitri". The Indian Express. 27 May 2016. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2016. "Dulquer surrenders to his role: Nag Ashwin – Times of India". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 9 November 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "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.
  4. 1 2 "66th National Film Awards: Full winners list". India Today. Ist. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Winners of the 66th Filmfare Awards (South) 2019". Filmfare . Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  6. ↑ "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.
  7. ↑ "Mahanati: 100 glorious days of an undisputed classic! - in.com". in.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018.
  8. 1 2 "PIX: Venkatesh, Mahesh Babu at Nag Ashwin-Priyanka's wedding reception". Rediff. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  9. ↑ 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.
  10. ↑ "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.
  11. ↑ "Nenu Meeku Telusa – Full Cast & Crew". IMDB. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 1 July 2018.[ unreliable source? ]
  12. ↑ "An eye for story". The Hindu. 9 February 2015. Archived from the original on 25 June 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  13. ↑ "This film came at the right time". The Hindu. 17 February 2015. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "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.
  15. ↑ "Kalki 2898 AD on X: "The story that ended 6000 years ago. Begins May 9th, 2024. The future unfolds. #Kalki2898AD @SrBachchan..."". Kalki 2898 AD. 12 January 2024. Archived from the original on 12 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2024– via X.
  16. ↑ "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.
  17. ↑ "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.
  18. ↑ "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.
  19. ↑ "'Mahanati' director Nah Ashwin turns producer". The Hindu. 24 October 2019. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  20. ↑ 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.
  21. ↑ 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.
  22. ↑ "2015 Nandi Awards". The Hans India. Archived from the original on 25 June 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  23. ↑ "SIIMA 2016 Telugu movie nominations revealed; 'Baahubali,' 'Srimanthudu' lead the list5". International Business Times . Archived from the original on 26 May 2016.
  24. ↑ "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.
  25. ↑ "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.
  26. ↑ "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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