Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 21: Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founder and first chief of India’s external intelligence agency R&AW, is set to be the subject of a large-scale theatrical espionage film backed by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective.

The yet-untitled film, based on Kao’s life and work, is scheduled for theatrical release on August 11, 2028, during the Independence Day weekend. The announcement was made on September 21, marking 58 years since the foundation of R&AW. The film is planned as part of celebrations marking the agency’s 60-year legacy in 2028.

Based on Nitin Gokhale’s book Gentleman Spymaster, the film will trace Kao’s journey from 1955 to 1971, including the events leading to the creation of R&AW and its first major mission during the 1971 war with Pakistan.

The project is currently in development, with the makers planning to take the film on floors by mid-2026. It will explore the years leading up to the formation of R&AW and Kao’s role in shaping India’s intelligence operations on the global stage.

Kao is regarded as a pioneering figure in Indian intelligence and his work and strategic approach have subsequently been discussed by several former R&AW chiefs.

In an official statement, Karan Johar said Leo Media had been researching and dramatising the story for the past two years and that the team wanted to make a gripping film based on true events to pay tribute to R&AW and mark its milestone year.

The project marks another collaboration between Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective after Bad Newz in 2024 and Kesari: Chapter 2 in 2025.

The director and cast have not yet been announced. The makers are expected to cast a leading actor in the role of Kao, while details about the director and other members of the creative team are being kept under wraps.