A gentleman to the core and an actor par excellence, Jackie Shroff remains one of our hottest, most popular movie stars. And now we hear that Shroff will play the important role of the first chief of Research & Analysis Wing, (RAW), in the upcoming film, RAW (Romeo Akbar Walter), starring John Abraham.

His character in the film, that of the mild-mannered, shrewd strategist and a fiercely private man reminds us of RN Kao, the founding father of Indian intelligence agency, RAW. A source from the film's unit tells us, `RN Kao's contribution in shaping RAW and the role it played in the Indo Pak conflict of 1971 is phenomenal. Jackie plays the part of the first RAW chief in the film bringing heft, gravitas and an intensity that few actors possess. When he got to sign up for the role, he was very excited and asked for research and information on the character. Kao has only been photographed twice in his lifetime, and was an intensely private man, so very little is known about him in the public domain. Jackie has given it his all and brought alive an important and memorable character in this film.`

It is noteworthy to remember that it was under R N Kao's leadership that RAW conceived and developed the idea of the Mukti Vahini, the homegrown guerilla force in the erstwhile East Pakistan that battled for the independence and formation of Bangladesh. He was the mastermind of an elaborate defense and foreign policy tactic that he executed with full confidence of India's Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1971 conflict.

Set in the tumultuous period of 1968-71, RAW is based on true events which had an impact on the future of three countries- India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It was a period, which saw the subcontinent's most decisive battle marking the birth of Bangladesh. In just 13 days the Pakistan army surrender unconditionally to the Indian army, making the 1971 war one of the shortest in history. India's intelligence agencies, especially RAW, played a very crucial part in this conflict, which made every Indian action precise, impactful and deadly.

With its interesting historical premise, RAW (Romeo Akbar Walter) promises to be a must watch this 5th April.

Written & Directed by Robbie Grewal, the espionage thriller is a salute to those who serve the nation behind enemy lines and yet remain nameless, faceless and are often forgotten.

John Abraham essays the role of a RAW agent who chooses to serve his country and sacrifices everything he has, even his very existence. The film also has a stellar ensemble star cast with Jackie Shroff, Mouni Roy, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and Sikander Kherr & Raghubir Yadav in pivotal roles.

RAW (Romeo Akbar Walter) is produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Dheeraj Wadhawan, Ajay Kapoor, Vanessa Walia, and Gary Grewal.