Kennedy Movie Review: Anurag Kashyap’s Gripping Neo-Noir Is a Triumphant Return to Form

In this Kennedy movie review, we look at a film that arrives like a cold gust of midnight air through Hindi cinema’s increasingly predictable landscape. Anurag Kashyap’s Kennedy is not just another crime thriller — it is a mood, a statement, and a reminder of what uncompromising filmmaking truly looks like. Dark, deliberate, and deeply immersive, this neo-noir set in pandemic-era Mumbai doesn’t ask for your attention — it commands it.

Backed by a magnetic performance from Rahul Bhat, hauntingly beautiful cinematography by Sylvester Fonseca, and a screenplay that never flinches, Kennedy is Kashyap rediscovering his rhythm with full confidence. Dedicated to the late Sudhir Mishra, the film carries the soul of classic Hindi noir while forging its own unforgettable identity.

Kennedy is a taut, atmospheric neo-noir that delivers on every front — raw performances, stunning visuals, and Kashyap’s most focused direction in years. A crime drama that lingers long after the credits roll.

Language: Hindi
Age Rating: A (Adults Only)
Genre: Neo-Noir, Crime Drama, Action Thriller
Director: Anurag Kashyap

The Plot: A Ghost in the Machine

At its core, Kennedy is a story about a man who no longer officially exists — and the dangerous freedom that brings. Uday Shetty (Rahul Bhat), a corrupt cop, is faked dead by Mumbai’s Police Commissioner Rasheed Khan (Mohit Takalkar) so he can operate as a phantom weapon — carrying out murders, extortion, and blackmail without leaving a paper trail.

The plan is elegant and ruthless. But when a new government takes power and Shetty is branded a relic of the old regime, the system turns on its own instrument. Set entirely against the backdrop of a pandemic-locked Mumbai, the city itself becomes a character — empty, paranoid, and soaked in darkness. Running alongside the crime plot is Shetty’s fractured personal life: a broken marriage, sleepless nights, and a simmering rage that refuses to die. Kennedy is a film about power, betrayal, and survival — told with the precision of a scalpel and the atmosphere of a fever dream.

Performances: A Cast That Leaves Nothing on the Table

Rahul Bhat delivers a career-defining turn as Uday Shetty / Kennedy. Insomniac, emotionally withdrawn, and simmering with suppressed fury, Bhat communicates entire chapters of this man’s pain through a glance or the set of his jaw. He speaks sparingly — but every silence carries weight. This is one of the finest performances in Hindi cinema this year.

Mohit Takalkar as Commissioner Rasheed Khan is quietly terrifying. His calm, measured menace is far more unsettling than any outburst could be. He wears authority like armour and hides corruption behind institutional power, playing the role with chilling, unforgettable restraint.

Shrikant Yadav as Sub-Inspector Abhijeet Kaale brings authentic street-level grit that feels utterly real — grounded, credible, and deeply convincing. Sunny Leone as Charlie, a woman desperate to escape India after personal tragedy, delivers one of her most mature and genuinely moving screen performances. Abhilash Thapliyal as Chandan adds a ghostly, poetic dimension to the story, blurring the lines between guide and apparition and lending the film an almost Shakespearean undertone that elevates it well beyond standard genre territory.

Check out: Actor Rahul Bhat discusses his role in the film ‘Kennedy’

Direction and Vision: Kashyap in Full Control

Anurag Kashyap has found his footing again, and Kennedy is the proof. The decision to shoot almost entirely at night — turning Mumbai into a shadowy, labyrinthine city of secrets — is inspired. This is a director trusting his instincts completely, and those instincts have never been sharper.

The film moves at a deliberate pace, demanding patience and rewarding it handsomely. There is no handholding, no unnecessary exposition — just atmosphere, tension, and storytelling confidence. The plot’s roots in real Mumbai incidents during the pandemic give the narrative an authenticity that makes its darker moments hit even harder. The film builds steadily toward a proper, satisfying conclusion — something genuinely rare in crime dramas of this ambition.

Technical Brilliance

Cinematography by Sylvester Fonseca is nothing short of extraordinary. Every frame is a study in controlled darkness — dimly lit rooms, exhausted faces, and rain-slicked streets that pulse with unease. It is visually arresting work that belongs in the conversation for the year’s best.

The sound design and music are used with surgical precision throughout. The film’s most unforgettable moment — a murder choreographed against Tchaikovsky’s violin concerto playing on an LP record — is a stunning juxtaposition of beauty and brutality that lingers in the memory long after the film ends. The editing keeps the narrative tight, interweaving the crime plot and personal drama cleanly while maintaining momentum across the film’s runtime.

Check Out: Sunny Leone Shares Experience on Filming ‘Kennedy’

Strengths

• Rahul Bhat’s career-best performance is intense, restrained, and utterly unforgettable
• Kashyap’s direction is his sharpest in years — confident, controlled, and uncompromising
• Fonseca’s cinematography makes every single frame a work of craft
• The Tchaikovsky murder sequence is a genuinely iconic piece of filmmaking
• The screenplay is grounded in real events without ever becoming a docudrama
• Every actor earns their place in this world
• The film sticks its landing with a rare and satisfying conclusion

Areas to Note

Kashyap’s layered visual storytelling and heavy symbolism reward active, engaged viewing rather than passive watching

The film moves slowly and with purpose — viewers expecting fast-paced action should adjust expectations accordingly

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kennedy is Anurag Kashyap at his most focused, fearless, and inspired. It is dark, layered, and completely honest about the world it portrays — a world where power corrupts absolutely and the line between law and crime dissolves in the dark. Rahul Bhat is mesmerising, the craft is impeccable, and the film earns every frame of its runtime.

This is not a film for everyone. It is a film for those who believe cinema should challenge, provoke, and move you in equal measure. For those viewers, Kennedy is an absolute triumph and one of the most essential Hindi films of 2026.

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