A film about India’s first RAW chief has been stuck in planning for years. Now, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions has finally locked a release date for the biopic on Rameshwar Nath Kao, the man known as India’s James Bond. The film, titled India’s Greatest Spymaster – RN Kao, will hit theatres worldwide on August 11, 2028. The announcement came on September 21, 2026, which marked the 58th anniversary of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), the agency Kao founded in 1968.
What Karan Johar Announced About the RN Kao Film
Dharma Productions shared the news on social media, confirming that the yet-untitled project is now officially moving forward. The film is based on journalist Nitin Gokhale’s 2019 book, R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster. The story will cover Kao’s journey from 1955 to 1971, showing how the need for a dedicated external intelligence agency grew and led to the formation of R&AW and its first major mission during the 1971 war against Pakistan.
“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 RN Kao, the man who operated in the shadows & brought to light an institution we know today as R&AW – and its first mission. Based on the book Gentleman Spymaster by Nitin Gokhale, his story comes alive on big screens on 11 August, 2028.” — Karan Johar via Instagram
Karan Johar also shared his thoughts on the project in a statement. “Leo Media has painstakingly been researching and dramatising this narrative with passion for the past two years. We want this film to be a gripping story based on true facts to pay homage to RAW and honour their milestone year with a solid motion picture … all of us at Dharma are so excited to get going,” he said.
Why the RN Kao Biopic Took Six Years to Make
The project was first announced in January 2020. At that time, Dharma Productions and Still and Still Media Collective revealed plans for a film described as “The Untold Story of the Real Life Indian Spymaster.” After that initial announcement, the project went quiet for years. Reports suggest the delay was tied to the difficulty of turning a real-life spymaster’s story into a mainstream commercial film. Kao’s work was built on secrecy and information, not the kind of high-action sequences that usually drive spy thrillers in Indian cinema.
The film is now being produced by Dharma Productions in partnership with Leo Media Collective. The production team includes Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Amritpal Singh Bindra. The project is expected to go on floors by mid-2026.
Who Was R.N. Kao, India’s Gentleman Spymaster
Rameshwar Nath Kao was born in Banaras on May 10, 1918, into a Kashmiri Hindu family. He studied at Lucknow University and Allahabad University before joining the Indian Imperial Police in 1940. After India’s independence, he was moved to the Intelligence Bureau, where his career shifted from regular policing to intelligence work.
One of his early major assignments was the investigation into the 1955 Air India Kashmir Princess crash. The flight was carrying delegates to the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung, and Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had been expected on board but cancelled at the last moment. Kao’s work on the case brought him into contact with investigators from China and Britain. Around the same time, he was sent to Ghana to help set up an intelligence and security organisation, giving him hands-on experience in building an intelligence system from scratch.
The 1962 war with China and the 1965 India-Pakistan war exposed serious gaps in India’s external intelligence. In 1968, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi appointed Kao as the founding Secretary of R&AW. He led the agency until 1977.
What the Film Will Cover: 1955 to 1971
The biopic will focus on the years 1955 to 1971. This period covers Kao’s early intelligence assignments, the events that made the need for a dedicated external intelligence agency clear, the formation of R&AW in 1968, and the agency’s first major operation during the 1971 India-Pakistan war. Kao is presented as the central figure in the story, which focuses on his role in building India’s external intelligence setup.
Cast and Production Details for India’s Greatest Spymaster
The makers have not yet announced the cast or director. However, sources confirm that an A-list actor is attached to lead the project. Reports from 2020 had suggested that Hrithik Roshan was approached for the lead role, though he had not signed on at that time.
Speculation about the lead actor has become a talking point among fans. Names being suggested on social media include Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Hrithik Roshan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, and Kay Kay Menon. One Instagram user wrote, “I think Ranbir Kapoor will play this role, he always says ‘See you at the movies.’” Another fan commented, “Perfect casting, otherwise Hrithik perfect for this role.”
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Other R.N. Kao Projects in Development
Karan Johar’s film is not the only project based on R.N. Kao’s life. In 2022, filmmaker Hansal Mehta was announced as the creator of an OTT series based on R.K. Yadav’s book, Mission R&AW. That project was set to follow Kao’s journey as the first chief of the agency. No major updates have come from that project since its initial announcement.
The upcoming India’s Greatest Spymaster – RN Kao marks another collaboration between Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective, following Bad Newz (2024) and Kesari: Chapter 2 (2025). The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on August 11, 2028, timed to the Independence Day weekend and the 60th anniversary of R&AW.
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