Karan Johar is bringing one of India’s most discreet intelligence figures to the big screen.
Dharma Productions has announced a new film based on Rameshwar Nath Kao, better known as R N Kao, the founding chief of India’s external intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. The project was revealed as R&AW marked 58 years since its formation.
The film is being developed with Leo Media Collective and is based on journalist Nitin Gokhale’s book R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster. It is currently slated for an August 11, 2028 theatrical release.
The Man Behind R&AW
R N Kao became the first chief of R&AW when the agency was created in 1968. Before that, he had served in the Intelligence Bureau and built a reputation for strategic thinking, discretion and operating away from public attention.
The film is expected to explore the years between 1955 and 1971, including the circumstances that led to the creation of R&AW and the agency’s early role during a crucial period in Indian history.
That gives the project a broader scope than a straightforward biopic. It is as much about the making of an institution as it is about the man who helped build it.
A Long Gestating Project
Dharma Productions had first announced plans to adapt the story in 2020, but the film is now moving forward with a clearer release plan after years of development. Karan Johar has said the team has spent considerable time researching the material and shaping it for the screen.
Casting and the director have not yet been announced.
