After years of uncertainty and delay, Anurag Kashyap’s neo-noir thriller Kennedy is finally coming home to Indian audiences with a digital premiere on ZEE5 from 20 February 2026, nearly three years after its world debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
Actor Rahul Bhat, who plays the titular character in the film, had previously shared with India Today Digital how the prolonged release timeline had taken an emotional toll on him. In an exclusive interview in May 2025, Bhat did not hold back about how the delays felt.
“It hurts… what is art if it doesn’t reach people?”
Bhat had said of the release situation, “I hope it releases soon. They are saying that it should release this year. It’s a tragedy because… pata nahi kya kuch log aate hai, fir woh naukriya chhodte hai fir dusre log aate hai… (God knows what happens… some people come, then they leave, then other people join) [then the release gets stuck]. It’s crazy.”
He added candidly, “It hurts, because what is acting all about if people don’t see it? Why do we make movies or art? For people to appreciate it, see it, and tell you the good things, criticise you but tell you something! The whole purpose of art is to reach people. If it doesn’t reach people, then what’s the point?”
From festival acclaim to homecoming
Kennedy premiered to strong reactions on the global festival circuit, including Cannes and other international showcases. Yet despite securing certification in India, it did not find a conventional theatrical release domestically, fuelling frustration among its cast and creative team.
Bhat had added, "Fir bolte hai theatre mein aate nahi log. Agar theatre mein filmein lagaoge nahi, toh kahan se aayengein? (It is being said that the audience does not come to the theatres. If you do not put up different films, why will they come?) They like to play the same kind of films in theatres, and then they complain that people are not coming. Then these big theatre chains now sell tickets for thousands of rupees, and they think people will come."
Now, with its OTT debut, the film will be accessible to a wider Indian audience for the first time. Starring Bhat as Uday Shetty, an insomniac ex-cop navigating Mumbai’s criminal underworld, the story weaves a dark, morally complex web that has won appreciation abroad and now has an opportunity to connect with viewers at home.
For Bhat, the long wait for Kennedy’s Indian release has underscored the deeper purpose of cinema itself, one that goes beyond festival applause and international praise to the simple act of being watched, discussed and felt by audiences it was made for.
