Dharma Productions has announced a large-scale spy thriller about Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founder and first chief of India’s external intelligence agency, Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW). Dharma Productions will produce the film in collaboration with Leo Media Collective.
He built the invisible…but history remembers his impact.
Today marks 58 years of R&AW and we’re thrilled to announce our film on the story of R.N. Kao, the man who operated in the shadows & brought to light an institution we know today as R&AW – and its first mission.
Based… pic.twitter.com/99OJtWn7rS
— Dharma Productions (@DharmaMovies) September 21, 2026
The film will explore Kao’s career and the early years of India’s intelligence apparatus. It will draw from Nitin Gokhale’s book Gentleman Spymaster.
The story will trace Kao’s journey from 1955 to 1971. It will examine the circumstances that created the need for a dedicated external intelligence agency. It will also cover the formation of R&AW in 1968 and its first major mission during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
Karan Johar said the project aims to bring an important chapter of India’s intelligence history to the big screen.
According to Johar, the makers have spent about two years researching and developing the story.
The film remains in development. The makers have not yet revealed the cast or director.
Reports say that an A-list actor will headline the project, but the makers have not confirmed the actor’s name.
The film will receive a theatrical release on August 11, 2028, during the Independence Day weekend.
The release will also mark R&AW’s 60-year legacy. The film will combine this historical backdrop with an espionage-action narrative.
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