Karan Johar Announces R.N. Kao Film for 2028: Dharma Productions Takes on the Story of R&AW’s First Chief

Karan Johar is taking Dharma Productions into the world of Indian intelligence history with a new theatrical film centred on Rameshwar Nath Kao, the founder and first chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW).

The yet-untitled film is being developed by Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective and is scheduled for theatrical release on August 11, 2028. The announcement was made on September 21, 2026, a date that marked 58 years since the establishment of R&AW.

Unlike a fictional spy thriller, the project will draw from the life and work of a real figure who was involved in the development of India's external intelligence apparatus. The film is based on journalist and strategic affairs analyst Nitin A. Gokhale's 2019 book, R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster.

A Story That Begins Before R&AW

R.N. Kao's story does not begin with the creation of R&AW.

According to the published material surrounding Gokhale's biography, Kao's career included his early work in the Intelligence Bureau and assignments that eventually placed him close to some of India's most important political and security developments.

R&AW was established in 1968, with Kao becoming its founding chief. The organisation was created as India's dedicated external intelligence agency, separating foreign intelligence responsibilities from the Intelligence Bureau's existing structure.

The announced film is expected to cover the period from 1955 to 1971, taking the story through the circumstances that led to the creation of R&AW and its early operations.

That timeframe gives the filmmakers an opportunity to tell a story that begins well before Kao formally became the head of R&AW.

The Book Behind the Film

Gokhale's R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster was first published by Bloomsbury India in 2019.

The book examines Kao's early years, his Intelligence Bureau career, the formation of R&AW and the agency's formative period. Its contents also cover the East Pakistan crisis, the 1971 war, the Sikkim episode, Kao's later government service and his involvement with India's intelligence establishment.

The book's publisher also points to an unusual challenge in documenting Kao's career: much of his professional life took place within a secretive intelligence environment, leaving researchers dependent on personal accounts and material that became publicly accessible only gradually.

That makes the upcoming adaptation different from a conventional celebrity or political biopic. The filmmakers are working with a historical figure whose professional record is closely connected to classified intelligence work.

Why 2028 Is the Chosen Release Year

The film is scheduled for August 11, 2028, placing its theatrical release during the Independence Day period.

The timing also connects with R&AW's institutional history. The agency was established in 1968, meaning 2028 will mark 60 years since its formation. The September 2026 announcement was made on the 58th anniversary of the agency's establishment, with the planned 2028 release positioned around that 60-year milestone.

The date therefore gives the project a historical context beyond simply launching another espionage film.

What the Film Will Cover

The currently available information points to a narrative covering Kao's journey from 1955 through 1971.

That period includes the background to the creation of a separate external intelligence organisation, the establishment of R&AW and its earliest major mission during the 1971 India-Pakistan conflict.

However, the makers have not released a detailed scene-by-scene synopsis. As a result, individual incidents from Gokhale's biography should not automatically be treated as confirmed portions of the screenplay.

The distinction matters because the book covers Kao's life well beyond 1971, while the currently announced film description focuses on the period leading up to and including R&AW's formative years.

Casting and Director Are Still Under Wraps

One of the biggest unanswered questions is who will portray R.N. Kao.

As of the announcement, the lead actor, director and wider cast have not been officially revealed. Reports describing possible casting should therefore be treated as speculation unless subsequently confirmed by the filmmakers.

For a film built around a real historical personality, the eventual casting will be particularly significant because the actor will have to portray a figure whose public image was defined partly by discretion and limited visibility.

For now, the confirmed information remains limited to the production partnership, subject, source book and release date.

Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective Reunite

The R.N. Kao project also brings Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective together again.

The companies previously collaborated on projects including Bad Newz and Kesari: Chapter 2. Their latest partnership moves into a substantially different territory, with the new project combining historical material with espionage and political events.

According to Karan Johar's comments reported following the announcement, Leo Media Collective has spent the past two years researching and developing the narrative, with the intention of creating a story based on historical facts.

The research-heavy nature of the project is particularly relevant given the limited public record surrounding intelligence operations.

R.N. Kao Was More Than the Founder of R&AW

Reducing Kao's career simply to the creation of R&AW would leave out much of the historical context available in the source material.

Gokhale's biography documents Kao's earlier intelligence career, his association with India's political leadership, his role in establishing R&AW and his later involvement with other areas of national security.

The publisher's description also identifies Kao with the creation of the Aviation Research Centre, while the book's contents extend into subjects including the 1971 conflict, Sikkim, Pakistan's nuclear programme and the National Security Guard.

Whether the film eventually explores these later chapters is not yet known.

A Different Kind of Bollywood Spy Story

Indian cinema has produced a large number of espionage films, but the R.N. Kao project has a different starting point.

Its protagonist was not created for a screenplay. He was an intelligence officer working within a government system during a period when India's security architecture was still taking shape.

That creates two parallel storytelling challenges.

The first is making a historically grounded intelligence story accessible to a theatrical audience. The second is maintaining a distinction between documented history and cinematic reconstruction.

The source material provides a substantial foundation, but the eventual film will determine how much of Kao's institutional work becomes the central dramatic narrative.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The most notable aspect of Karan Johar's new project is its decision to focus on the formation of an institution through the career of the person who helped establish it.

That gives the film a broader historical scope than a conventional character-driven spy thriller. The story potentially connects personal decisions, intelligence work and the creation of a new arm of India's national-security structure.

The 2028 release date adds another layer because it coincides with six decades of R&AW's existence.

But much of the project is still unknown. There is no confirmed lead actor, director or detailed final plot at the time of the announcement.

For now, the confirmed story is that Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective are developing a theatrical film based on R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster, with August 11, 2028 set as the release date.

Sources & Verification

This independent report was prepared using the September 21, 2026 announcement concerning Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective's R.N. Kao film, established news coverage of the project, and Bloomsbury India's publisher information for Nitin A. Gokhale's R.N. Kao: Gentleman Spymaster. The film's confirmed release date, source material and announced historical scope were cross-checked across multiple sources. Casting and director information has not been presented as confirmed because those details remain undisclosed.