Cinema VinesIn a recent social‑media post, Karan Johar revealed that his long‑awaited biopic on Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founding secretary of India’s external intelligence agency R&AW, will hit theaters on 11 August 2028. The announcement, made on the filmmaker’s personal account, did not yet disclose a cast, but it confirmed the release date and underscored the project’s historical significance.
Johar described Kao as “The Man, The Myth, The Legend” and highlighted his pivotal role in securing India’s victory in the 1971 war against Pakistan. The director also noted that the film would chronicle the agency’s first mission and its early years, drawing from Nitin Gokhale’s book Gentleman Spymaster. He added that the story “builds the invisible…but history remembers his impact,” and that the film would celebrate 58 years of R&AW’s existence.
The project was first announced in January 2020, when Dharma Productions and Still and Still Media Collective announced a collaboration to adapt Gokhale’s biography. Johar had described the film as “The Untold Story of the Real‑Life Indian Spymaster – Rameshwar Nath Kao,” promising an exploration of Kao’s contributions to the establishment of R&AW and his international espionage career.
Rameshwar Nath Kao, born in 1918 and passing in 2002, served as R&AW’s founding secretary from 1968 until 1977 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. His leadership laid the groundwork for India’s intelligence apparatus and set the stage for the agency’s future operations.
While Johar’s biopic marks the first major cinematic portrayal of Kao, other projects have also sought to capture his legacy. In 2022, filmmaker Hansal Mehta announced an OTT series based on R.K. Yadav’s book Mission R&AW, intended to follow Kao’s journey as R&AW’s first chief. However, that series has yet to receive further updates.
