Anil Kapoor and Suresh Triveni’s Subedaar has secured a major national honour at the 2026 Asian Academy Creative Awards, with Triveni winning Best Direction (Feature Film) for India. Anil Kapoor has also been nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as retired soldier Arjun Maurya. The recognition places the Prime Video action-drama among India’s notable winners in an awards field spanning 335 national winners from 18 nations and territories across 39 categories.
The achievement also gives Subedaar a place in the awards’ international round. The Asian Academy Creative Awards follows a two-stage judging process, with national winners moving forward before the Grand Winners are selected by an international jury. The final awards gala is scheduled for December 3 at Singapore’s historic Capitol Theatre, giving the film and its creative team another international platform following its national recognition.
The scale of this year’s competition adds context to the recognition. Entries were judged by industry professionals from 38 countries, with the awards covering film, television and digital content across the Asia-Pacific region. In the feature-film categories, Chinese Mainland winner The Shadow’s Edge, starring Jackie Chan, also emerged as a national winner, creating a notable connection between two major Asian action stars represented at this year’s awards.
For Prime Video India, the result forms part of a particularly strong showing at the 2026 Asian Academy Creative Awards. The streaming platform recorded 19 national wins, matching Astro Malaysia and trailing only Singapore’s Mediacorp, which led the company tally with 23 wins. Subedaar’s recognition is therefore part of a broader awards showing for Indian streaming content rather than an isolated achievement.
The film itself combines action with family drama through the story of Arjun Maurya, a retired soldier attempting to adjust to civilian life. When circumstances threaten his family, his military experience becomes central to his response. Radhikka Madan plays his daughter Shyama, while Khushbu Sundar, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Rawal, Mona Singh and Faisal Malik feature in the ensemble cast.
Directed by Suresh Triveni, Subedaar premiered on Amazon Prime Video on March 5, 2026. The film was made available in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu across India as well as in more than 240 countries and territories. Prime Video describes the film as an emotionally charged action-drama built around the relationship between Arjun Maurya and his daughter, giving its action framework a strongly personal centre.
Triveni’s Best Direction win recognises his work on the feature and places Subedaar among the Indian projects receiving national recognition at the Asian Academy Creative Awards. His direction combines the film’s action-driven elements with its family-focused storyline, keeping the relationship between Arjun and Shyama central to the narrative.
The Best Actor in a Leading Role nomination adds another international awards recognition to Anil’s career spanning more than four decades. His portrayal of Arjun Maurya places a veteran screen presence at the centre of a contemporary streaming film, while Triveni’s directing win highlights the creative work behind the film’s action-driven storytelling.
The acting nomination also keeps Subedaar in contention as the awards move from the national stage to the international round. While Triveni has already secured the Best Direction recognition for India, Kapoor will now compete in the international stage for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The Grand Winners will be determined by an international jury following the national awards stage.
The Asian Academy Creative Awards cover a wide range of screen content across the Asia-Pacific region, with this year’s entries judged by professionals from 38 countries. The 2026 awards therefore place Subedaar within a wider regional field that includes feature films, television productions and digital content from multiple territories.
The recognition also comes alongside the awards’ broader representation of Asian cinema. With 335 national winners announced from 18 nations and territories across 39 categories, the competition brings together productions and creators from across the region. The inclusion of Subedaar among India’s national winners gives the film a place within that wider regional awards landscape.
The film’s international reach is also reflected in its Prime Video release. Its availability across more than 240 countries and territories has taken the story of Arjun Maurya and his daughter to audiences beyond India, while its awards recognition now provides another route for the project to gain attention internationally.
The December 3 gala at Singapore’s Capitol Theatre will determine the Grand Winners following the international judging process. For Subedaar, the ceremony represents the next stage after Suresh Triveni’s national Best Direction win and Anil Kapoor’s nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role.
