Nag Ashwin Reveals ‘Kalki 2’ Release Plans: ‘We Hope To Wrap The Shoot By Mid-2027’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Noted filmmaker Nag Ashwin, the man behind “Mahanati” and “Kalki 2898 AD,” is on a roll. At the 72nd National Film Awards, his sci-fi epic “Kalki 2898 AD” scored a double win — Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Production Design for Nitin Zihani’s futuristic work on the film.

Two wins for ‘Kalki 2898 AD,’ are a major achievement and also a big moment for the sci-fi genre in India. How does it feel?

I’m truly honored by this recognition. With ‘Kalki’, we attempted something that many thought was impossible. It was not a niche sci-fi film. I wanted the story to be rooted in our culture and, most importantly, to reach the masses. The fact that it achieved that makes this award a fitting recognition of the enormous amount of time and effort the entire team put into the film.

You went from a biopic like ‘Mahanati’ to an ambitious sci-fi epic. Was that genre leap always part of the plan?

Yes, it was a calculated risk — making a sci-fi film in Telugu was certainly a big gamble. But thankfully, it paid off.

‘Kalki 2898 AD’ draws heavily from Indian mythology, scriptures and the Mahabharata. Where did that fascination come from?

I’ve been fascinated by mythology from a very young age. I enjoyed reading our stories and mythologies and was always intrigued by how they connect with one another. For instance, a curse in the Ramayana is lifted in the Mahabharata. I love these connections between different time periods and yugas.

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“Mahanati” also played an important role. The film gave me acceptance and recognition among audiences, and that provided me with the resources and, more importantly, the trust to attempt something as ambitious as “Kalki 2898 AD.”

One of the biggest talking points of ‘Kalki 28998 AD’ was its casting — Prabhas, Amitabh Bachchan and Kamal Haasan. How do you approach casting at that scale?

For me, it always comes down to the originality and power of the script. After I narrated the story to Bachchan sir, Kamal sir and Prabhas, they agreed almost immediately. So ultimately, it is the story that brings everyone on board. To be honest, even we didn’t initially believe we could pull off such a star cast.

The expectations for ‘Kalki 2’ are now through the roof. What’s the latest on the film? When will you wrap the shooting?

We're starting regular shooting in mid-October, as we now have call sheets in place for all the artists. Earlier this year, we shot individual scenes featuring Kamal sir and Bachchan sir. We were waiting for Prabhas’ call sheet, and that’s now sorted. Hopefully, we will wrap the entire shoot by mid-next year and then move into post-production. Let’s finish the shoot first; once that is done, we can talk about the release date.

So, are we looking at 2028?

Looks like 2028, certainly.

Any fresh additions to this already massive cast?

No new additions. We are continuing with the story we started, and there are already so many characters in it.

Is ‘Kalki’ shaping up as a franchise or something bigger?

It’s more than a franchise. I feel we are trying to create a world — something like a “Kalki” universe. We have been exploring different stories, trying to put them together and develop this larger world.