Dharma Productions to bring R&AW founder R.N. Kao's story to cinemas in 2028

Dharma Productions has announced a feature film on Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founding chief of India's external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). The yet-untitled project is scheduled to arrive in cinemas worldwide on August 11, 2028.

Producer Karan Johar unveiled the film on September 21, a date that marked 58 years since R&AW was established. In a social media post, he described Kao as a man who operated in the shadows and built an institution whose impact history continues to remember.

The film draws on Gentleman Spymaster, the book by Nitin Gokhale. Its narrative is expected to trace Kao's role in setting up the agency and its first mission, spanning the years from 1955 to 1971 and building towards the war against Pakistan.

According to the makers, the story will examine the circumstances that led to the creation of R&AW, its formation in 1968 and its inaugural operation, with Kao positioned as the central figure in the account of how India's external intelligence apparatus took shape.

Dharma Productions is producing the film with Leo Media Collective. Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Amritpal Singh Bindra are among those associated with the project. Johar said Leo Media Collective has spent the past two years researching and dramatising the narrative, adding that the aim is a gripping film grounded in true facts that honours R&AW in its milestone year.

The project is planned as a large-scale espionage-action feature and is expected to go on floors by mid-2026. Casting, the director and other details have not been announced. It marks another collaboration between Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective, following Bad Newz (2024) and Kesari: Chapter 2 (2025).