BULLET Microdrama’s Hindi fantasy microdrama ‘Deadline’ has been named the 2026 National Winner for Best Micro-Drama at the Asian Academy Creative Awards (AACA). This is the first year the award category has been introduced.

According to a BULLET Microdrama press release today, ‘Deadline’ will now advance to the international round of judging, where it will compete with National Winners from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The story follows Dev, played by Qabeer Singh, who meets a modern-day Yamraj, played by RJ Lucky, at a tea stall. Dev is told that he has only 72 hours left to live. He then races against time to put his life in order and make amends. The story also features Riya, played by Kritika Khurana, as his love interest, and Soham Gupta as his close confidant and guide.

The recognition comes as BULLET Microdrama completes its first year. Azim Lalani, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of BULLET Microdrama and Trinetra AI, said the win was encouraging for the growing microdrama category and reflected the response from audiences.

‘Deadline’ was among the first scripts to be greenlit by Trishul, the script intelligence engine developed by Trinetra AI. The system evaluates scripts across more than 100 parameters, including story, hooks, character arcs and payoffs.

Varsha Sindhu Prasad, Network Content Head at BULLET Microdrama, said the company focuses on strong writing and characters while providing opportunities to new faces.The Asian Academy Creative Awards’ Grand Awards Gala and Red Carpet will take place on December 3, at the Capitol Theatre in Singapore. The Grand Final Winners will be announced at the event.