Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy was born in isolation. Shot during the COVID lockdown it came from a time when the world was emotionally unsettled. The film follows Kennedy, played by Rahul Bhat, a former cop who is officially dead but secretly works as a contract killer for a corrupt system. He moves through Mumbai like a ghost and trapped between the past he lost and the present he cannot escape. Sunny Leone’s Charlie exists in a similar space, surviving by masking her vulnerability in a world that constantly threatens her.
Kennedy first appeared in May 2023 at the Cannes Film Festival, in the Midnight Screenings section. This was a major moment, not just for Kashyap but for Indian independent cinema. The film received strong attention and seemed ready to reach audiences soon after. It also screened at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, which increased anticipation for its release in India.
But the release never happened.
The Central Board of Film Certification approved the film with an A certificate, but only after demanding several changes. Political references were altered, real names were replaced, certain dialogues were muted, and some portions were cut. These were not cosmetic changes. They softened the film’s rawness. Kashyap’s cinema depends on emotional honesty, and removing specific references inevitably changes the experience.
While India waited, Kennedy briefly released internationally on Letterboxd’s digital platform. Ironically, Indian audiences could not watch it. The film existed, but not at home. Regardless, the ZEE5 version that will be released tomorrow is the same as what world saw on Letterboxd.
Now, in 2026, Kennedy is finally arriving on ZEE5. But this is not the original version Kashyap made. It is the certified version, shaped by censorship requirements.
Kennedy has survived a long journey. What we will see is real, but it is not entirely whole.