Following the success of films like Kesari, Raazi, and Shershaah, Karan Johar has announced a biopic on RN Kao, the founder and first chief of India’s external intelligence agency, R&AW.
Dharma Productions is collaborating with Leo Media Collective to bring the story of India’s legendary spymaster to the big screen. The announcement was made on social media to commemorate 58 years of R&AW.
Taking to Instagram, Karan Johar shared a note describing Kao’s impact on the country’s intelligence apparatus:
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According to Johar, Leo Media Collective has spent the past two years researching and developing the narrative to deliver an authentic cinematic homage to the agency.
The film is adapted from a book, R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster, by Nitin Gokhale. The narrative will cover key events between 1955 and 1971, detailing the circumstances that necessitated a dedicated external intelligence body, the eventual establishment of R&AW in 1968, and its strategic operations leading up to the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
Principal photography for the project is scheduled to begin by mid-2026. Details regarding the director, supporting cast, and lead actor remain under wraps.
The film has locked August 11, 2028, as its official theatrical release date.
