After a prolonged wait, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is finally set to unveil Kennedy for Indian audiences. The neo-noir crime drama will premiere on Friday, February 20, ending nearly three years of release uncertainty. The film has already travelled a remarkable festival journey, earning praise long before its domestic debut.
Kennedy first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023. The same year, it screened at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, hosted at the prestigious Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre. Following its successful festival run, the film received its censor certificate a month later. However, approval came with several mandated changes.
Let’s break down what was altered before release.
CBFC Cuts And Modifications In Kennedy
The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) granted Kennedy an ‘A’ certificate. While the board cleared the film for adult audiences, the Examining Committee directed specific edits.
Here are the notable modifications:
- The word ‘motherf***’** was muted in both dialogues and subtitles
- References to ‘Donald Trump’ were replaced with ‘Pump Trump’
- Visuals of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, along with the dialogue ‘Dawood Ibrahim ne…1993 mein’, were removed
- The deleted reference was replaced with the phrase ‘Pakistan Don’
- A 14-second scene featuring the degrading dialogue ‘Matunga, Matunga…Pungi bajaao’ was deleted
- Anti-smoking static warnings were added to all smoking scenes
These edits were implemented as per CBFC guidelines.
DON'T MISS
Once the changes were completed, Kennedy was officially awarded its censor certificate on November 23, 2023.
According to the censor certificate, the film’s length stands at 148.54 minutes. That translates to 2 hours, 28 minutes and 54 seconds. Despite the cuts, the film retains its original narrative structure and intensity.
About This Anurag Kashyap Film
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Kennedy is a dark, gripping neo-noir thriller. The story follows Uday Shetty, played by Rahul Bhat. His character is an insomniac ex-cop presumed dead for years. Now living under the alias “Kennedy,” he works secretly as a contract killer.
Kennedy operates under the orders of a corrupt police commissioner, Rasheed Khan, portrayed by Mohit Takalkar. In return for carrying out ruthless assignments, Kennedy seeks help in tracking down Saleem – the gangster linked to his son’s death. Along the way, he encounters Charlie, played by Sunny Leone. Her mysterious presence adds intrigue to an already tense narrative set against the morally complex backdrop of post-lockdown Mumbai.
Although Kennedy gained global recognition after Cannes, its Indian release faced delays due to industry processes. The film skipped a theatrical release entirely. Instead, it will now premiere directly on ZEE5 on February 20, 2026. Before this, the film had a limited global TVOD release via the Letterboxd Video Store in December 2025, spanning over 20 countries.
Meanwhile, the last release of Anurag Kashyap was Nishanchi, but it failed miserably at the box office.
