Director: Anurag Kashyap
Rating: ***
After a long and celebrated journey through the international festival circuit—including a world premiere at Cannes and being the only Indian film selected for Letterboxd’s Video Store—Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy has finally arrived for Indian audiences, premiering today, February 20, 2026, on ZEE5.
Here is a critical deep dive into this gritty neo-noir thriller.
The Story & Script
Set against the eerie, claustrophobic backdrop of the COVID-19 lockdown in Mumbai, the story follows Uday Shetty (Rahul Bhat), an insomniac ex-cop officially declared dead six years ago. In reality, he operates as a "ghost" assassin for the corrupt Police Commissioner, Rasheed Khan.
Kashyap’s script is a nihilistic exploration of a system that fakes deaths to facilitate murders. While the core is a revenge saga involving a nemesis named Saleem, the script is more interested in the rot of the institution and the psychological decay of a man who has lost his identity. The writing is layered and politically charged, though the convoluted structure of the third act may feel slightly overstuffed to some.
Direction & Screenplay
This film marks a return to "Vintage Kashyap." His direction is atmospheric, opting for a dark, inky color palette that mirrors the protagonist's soul. The screenplay uses the pandemic lockdown brilliantly—not just as a setting, but as a metaphor for isolation and systemic illness. Kashyap experiments with the "Midnight Movie" genre, balancing moments of shocking, operatic violence with a slow-burn character study.
Performances
Rahul Bhat: Bhat delivers a career-best performance. His "Kennedy" is a plodding, hulking mass of suppressed rage and grief. He conveys the exhaustion of insomnia through his physicality rather than just dialogue.
Sunny Leone: Playing the mysterious Charlie, Leone is a revelation. She brings a grounded, tragicomic energy to a woman caught in a world she doesn't fully understand. Her performance is subtle, moving away from her usual screen persona.
Mohit Takalkar: As the antagonist Rasheed Khan, Takalkar plays the role with a terrifying, calm menace that anchors the film’s political stakes.
Music & Technical Craft
Music & Sound: The score by Aamir Aziz and Boyblanck is exceptional. A particular murder sequence set to classical violin is a masterclass in using sound to contrast beauty with brutality.
Cinematography: Sylvester Fonseca captures a Mumbai we rarely see—desolate, neon-lit, and menacing. The use of shadows and cramped spaces enhances the feeling of a city "swallowing its inhabitants whole."
Final Verdict
Kennedy is an unapologetic, brutal, and deeply stylish piece of cinema. It isn't built for mass appeal; it’s a "mood piece" for those who enjoy dark, philosophical crime dramas. While the pacing is deliberate and the symbolism heavy, it serves as a potent reminder of Kashyap’s mastery over the genre.
