Fans across India have been eagerly awaiting Anurag Kashyap’s next big thriller, and the buzz around the film’s festival screenings only added to the hype. While some are debating the edits, many are simply excited to finally watch Rahul Bhat in a gritty lead role.
Image Source: Instagram
After nearly three years of whispers, festival screenings, international buzz, Anurag Kashyap-directed noir thriller ‘Kennedy’ is finally streaming in India on Zee5 from February 20, 2026.
But there’s a twist. Fans are noticing some eyebrow-raising edits that have sparked chatter online.
Advertisement
Advertisement
View this post on Instagram
‘Kennedy’ stars Rahul Bhat in the title role, alongside Sunny Leone, and tells the story of a cop who was thought dead but now works as a hitman for a corrupt senior police officer. His mission? A high-stakes quest for revenge against an international gangster while wading through Mumbai’s murky world of corruption and power games.
However, the version now available on Zee5 isn’t exactly the raw, unfiltered thriller festival audiences saw.
According to reports, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) required several changes before granting an A certificate. Curse words like the notorious “motherf**’” are on mute. An anti-smoking disclaimer now pops up during every puff and a 14-second scene has dropped entirely.
Hindustan Times reported the film also toned down references to real-life figures. Mentions of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim were swapped with “Pakistan Don,” and a line about US President Donald Trump was changed to “Pump Trump.”
‘Kennedy’’s journey to Indian screens has been nothing short of epic. The film first wowed audiences at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, earning a standing ovation for its stylish noir vibes. It premiered in India later that year at the MAMI Film Festival in Mumbai and went on to tour multiple international festivals, including the Sydney Film Festival, London Indian Film Festival, Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival in Switzerland, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival in South Korea.
Despite this festival fame, a theatrical release in India remained elusive. In 2025, the film made history by becoming the only Indian entry selected for Letterboxd’s inaugural Video Store giving cinephiles worldwide a glimpse of Kashyap’s dark, atmospheric thriller.
Advertisement
