Dharma Productions and Leo Media Collective announced an espionage film based on the life of Rameshwar Nath Kao on September 21, 2026. Coinciding with R&AW's 58th anniversary, the studio set an August 11, 2028 theatrical release date to align with the agency’s 60th anniversary year. The script spans 1955 to 1971, detailing the intelligence failures of the 1962 Sino-Indian and 1965 India-Pakistan wars that prompted the creation of R&AW in 1968, as well as Kao’s strategic role in the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in mid-2026.
Rameshwar Nath Kao was appointed as R&AW’s founding chief by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1968 after serving in the Indian Police Service and the Intelligence Bureau. During his nine-year tenure, Kao built India’s external intelligence infrastructure, trained Mukti Bahini fighters, oversaw Sikkim's integration into India, and later helped establish the National Security Guard (NSG). He retired from public service in 1989 and passed away in 2002 at age 83.
