Lakadbaggha 2 Becomes First Indian Action Film Selected for Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest

Anshuman Jha’s Lakadbaggha 2 Heads to Belgium

Anshuman Jha’s upcoming action thriller Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business is set for its world premiere at the Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest in Bruges, Belgium, where it has been selected for the festival’s 2026 programme.

The festival is scheduled to take place from October 29 to November 7, 2026. Razor Reel describes itself as a Belgian genre-film festival focused on fantasy, thriller, horror, science fiction and films that push creative boundaries.

According to The Hollywood Reporter India, the film becomes the first Indian action film selected at the European genre festival.

An International Chapter for the Franchise

Directed by Anshuman Jha, Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business expands the world established in the first film beyond India.

The sequel once again follows Arjun Bakshi, the animal-loving vigilante played by Jha. This time, the story moves into Southeast Asia and incorporates an international setting connected to wildlife trafficking.

The film is also described as an India-Indonesia co-production, giving the franchise a wider international production footprint.

Action Meets Wildlife Conservation

One of the defining elements of Lakadbaggha 2 is its attempt to connect action cinema with an environmental theme.

The sequel centres on the Yaki monkey, also known as the Celebes crested macaque, an endangered primate native to Indonesia. Earlier official promotional material from the makers described the film as being built around wildlife protection and the illegal animal trade.

Jha has described the film as a “love letter to the environment”, explaining that he wanted to take the unusual premise of the original film further while reaching audiences beyond India.

A Global Action Cast

The sequel brings together Indian performers and martial-arts talent from across Asia.

The cast includes Sunny Pang, known for his work in international action cinema, and Thai martial-arts performer Dan Chupong. Indian actors Adil Hussain, Vikram Kochhar and Sarah Jane Dias are also part of the film alongside Jha.

The combination gives the sequel a noticeably broader action-cinema canvas than the first instalment.

The film's international action component was part of the project's design from an early stage, with the makers previously announcing Asian martial-arts performers for the sequel.

From Kolkata to Southeast Asia

The first Lakadbaggha introduced audiences to Arjun Bakshi, a martial-arts trainer and animal lover who becomes a vigilante while confronting animal cruelty and illegal animal trafficking.

For the sequel, the character's journey moves outside the original Kolkata setting.

Bollywood Hungama's current film information describes the sequel as taking Arjun into the forests of West Java, Indonesia, where the story expands its focus to the international wildlife-trafficking network.

The move allows the franchise to combine its vigilante-action foundation with a larger international setting.

The Franchise's Festival Journey Continues

The world premiere at Razor Reel follows an increasingly international festival journey for the Lakadbaggha franchise.

The original film had its world premiere at the Kolkata International Film Festival in December 2022 and later had an international premiere at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival in New York.

Jha's directorial work has also previously been associated with Razor Reel. His film Lord Curzon Ki Haveli premiered in Europe at the festival, according to the project's FilmFreeway information.

Earlier Cannes Screening

Before its upcoming world premiere in Bruges, Lakadbaggha 2 was also presented internationally at the Marché du Film at Cannes in 2026, according to Bollywood Hungama's coverage of the project.

The festival circuit therefore forms an important part of the sequel's international rollout ahead of its planned theatrical release.

Bollywood Hungama currently lists the film for a November 2026 release, while an earlier announcement from the makers had positioned its worldwide theatrical release around Diwali 2026.

Anshuman Jha Continues as Arjun Bakshi

Jha is taking on multiple responsibilities on the sequel, serving as both director and lead actor.

His character, Arjun Bakshi, remains at the centre of the franchise's animal-protection narrative. The sequel builds on the character introduced in the first film while moving him into a new geographical and action environment.

The director has said that the film's central environmental message was an important part of his motivation for continuing the franchise.

The Celebrity Hour Take

The Razor Reel selection gives Lakadbaggha 2 a useful international platform because the film sits at the intersection of Indian vigilante cinema, martial arts and wildlife conservation.

The sequel is also attempting something structurally different from simply repeating the first film. Moving the story into Indonesia and bringing in performers from different Asian action traditions broadens the franchise's geographical and cinematic vocabulary.

Its festival journey will provide an early opportunity for international genre audiences to see how the film balances its action elements with its environmental subject.

Sources & Verification

This report was prepared using Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest's official festival information, Bollywood Hungama's current film and franchise coverage, and The Hollywood Reporter India's report on the film's selection. Key details including the festival dates, Bruges location, international cast, India–Indonesia production connection and the film's environmental focus were cross-checked against the available sources. The claim that it is the first Indian action film selected at Razor Reel is attributed to the published festival-selection reporting rather than presented as an independently established historical fact.