Kalki 2898 AD wins 2 National Awards: Nag Ashwin on balancing scale with emotion
Synopsis
'Kalki 2898 AD' has become one of the rare Indian blockbusters to win National Awards for both mass entertainment and technical craft. Director Nag Ashwin says the dual recognition validates the film's core ambition — building a visually unique, mythologically rooted sci-fi universe that millions could also feel, not just watch. The Kalki Cinematic Universe now enters its next phase with a national stamp of approval.
Key Takeaways
'Kalki 2898 AD' won two National Awards : Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Production Design .
Director Nag Ashwin said the honour was gratifying because the film balanced visual scale with emotional accessibility for mainstream audiences.
Nag Ashwin previously won the National Award for Best Feature Film for 'Mahanati' ( 2018 ), starring Keerthy Suresh .
The film features an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan , Kamal Haasan , Prabhas , and Deepika Padukone .
Set in 2898 AD in the city of Kashi , the film is the first instalment of the planned Kalki Cinematic Universe , inspired by Hindu scriptures.
Filmmaker Nag Ashwin has said that winning two National Awards for his 2024 epic 'Kalki 2898 AD' carries special significance because the film managed to pair its extraordinary visual ambition with genuine emotional resonance for mainstream audiences. The honours were announced as part of the 71st National Film Awards, recognising the Telugu-language science fiction blockbuster in two major categories.
The Two Awards and What They Recognise
'Kalki 2898 AD' received the National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and the National Award for Best Production Design, setting a new benchmark for visual-effects-driven Indian cinema. The dual recognition places the film among a rare set of Indian productions honoured for both commercial appeal and technical craft in the same edition of the awards.
Nag Ashwin on the Achievement
'I feel very happy that we not only succeeded in taking on the visual and logistical challenge of creating a world of this scale, but also successfully managed to make that world emotionally accessible to audiences,' the director said. He added that the millions who connected with the film and fell in love with its world made the recognition even more special: 'For us, being able to achieve both those things makes the recognition even more special.'
On the Production Design award specifically, Nag Ashwin said, 'We received the award for Production Design, which I feel we fully deserve. For us, the idea was always to create something that had its own visual identity rather than simply replicate something that already exists.' He further noted: 'We will continue to follow our path of trying to create a hybrid world that exists with Indian roots. I think that is what makes the world of Kalki 2898 AD unique to us.'
Nag Ashwin's National Award Track Record
This is not the director's first brush with the National Awards. Nag Ashwin previously won the National Award for Best Feature Film for his 2018 biographical drama 'Mahanati', starring Keerthy Suresh. The two awards for 'Kalki 2898 AD' now make him one of the most decorated directors in contemporary Indian cinema across distinct genres — from biographical drama to science fiction spectacle.
About the Film
'Kalki 2898 AD' is a Telugu-language epic mythological science fiction film set in a dystopian future in the year 2898 AD, centred on the city of Kashi. The film, inspired by Hindu scriptures, follows a group tasked with protecting lab subject SUM-80's unborn child, believed to be Kalki — the final avatar of Lord Vishnu. It features an ensemble cast including Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Shobana, and Disha Patani, and serves as the first instalment of the planned Kalki Cinematic Universe.
What Comes Next
With two National Awards now behind it, 'Kalki 2898 AD' heads into the sequel phase of its cinematic universe with significantly elevated expectations. The director's emphasis on building a world with 'Indian roots' signals that future instalments will continue to draw from Hindu mythological frameworks rather than adopt a purely Western sci-fi template. Industry observers will be watching whether the Kalki Cinematic Universe can sustain both critical recognition and box-office scale across successive films.
Point of View
Not a derivative of Hollywood sci-fi templates. Nag Ashwin's framing of a 'hybrid world with Indian roots' is worth taking seriously as a creative manifesto; the real test will be whether the Kalki Cinematic Universe can hold that identity across sequels, as franchise pressures typically push films toward safe, globally palatable aesthetics. The awards also quietly shift the conversation about Telugu cinema beyond pure box-office metrics, which is exactly the kind of institutional validation the industry's international ambitions need.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which National Awards did 'Kalki 2898 AD' win?
'Kalki 2898 AD' won two National Awards: Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Production Design. The honours were part of the 71st National Film Awards, recognising both the film's mass appeal and its original visual craft.
What did director Nag Ashwin say about the National Award wins?
Nag Ashwin said he was gratified that the film succeeded on two fronts — handling the visual and logistical scale of building a sci-fi world, while also making that world emotionally accessible to mainstream audiences. He described the dual achievement as making the recognition especially meaningful.
Has Nag Ashwin won a National Award before?
Yes. Nag Ashwin previously won the National Award for Best Feature Film for 'Mahanati' in 2018, which starred Keerthy Suresh. The two awards for 'Kalki 2898 AD' mark his return to national recognition, this time in a completely different genre.
Who stars in 'Kalki 2898 AD' and what is the film about?
The film features Amitabh Bachchan, Kamal Haasan, Prabhas, Deepika Padukone, Shobana, and Disha Patani. Set in a dystopian future in 2898 AD in the city of Kashi, it draws from Hindu scriptures and follows a group protecting an unborn child believed to be Kalki, the final avatar of Lord Vishnu.
What is the Kalki Cinematic Universe?
The Kalki Cinematic Universe is a planned multi-film franchise built around the mythology of Kalki, the tenth and final avatar of Lord Vishnu. 'Kalki 2898 AD' is its first instalment, with Nag Ashwin at the helm and a focus on creating a visually distinctive, India-rooted sci-fi world.
