- February 20, 2026
Aamir Dalvi Reacts To Kennedy’s Long Wait In India: ‘I Wouldn’t Say Frustrating But…’
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Kennedy, directed by Anurag Kashyap and starring Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone, and Aamir Dalvi, premiered at Cannes and now streams on ZEE5 after a long-awaited India release.
Aamir Dalvi.
After travelling the world and earning applause on international soil, Kennedy is finally coming home. And honestly, it’s been a long wait. As the neo-noir crime thriller gears up for its India premiere, actor Aamir Dalvi is opening up about the delayed release and what the journey has meant to him.
Directed by Anurag Kashyap, Kennedy began streaming on ZEE5 on February 20. The film, which stars Rahul Bhat and Sunny Leone in pivotal roles, first premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 25, 2023. Nearly three years later, it is set for its official India release.
In a conversation with Zoom TV, Dalvi addressed the long gap between the film’s international debut and its Indian arrival. When asked whether the delay felt frustrating, he said, “I wouldn’t say frustrating, but (when) you’ve done something, you want the audience to see it, you’re waiting for it to have its piece of appreciation. So, that does get to you.”
While he admitted the wait wasn’t easy, Dalvi said he believes in timing. The actor shared that he had wanted to work with Kashyap ever since watching the filmmaker’s 2004 crime drama Black Friday. However, the opportunity only came years later.
“There’s a timing to everything. That’s how I always look at things in life. I am sure it’s happening now and happening for the right reason right now,” he added.
Reflecting on the film’s world premiere at Cannes, Dalvi described the experience as surreal. He said the scale and response were overwhelming, especially in the moment.
“When such overwhelming and exciting moments happen in your life, you can’t think of anything else. You’re just going through that. And then later on, over a period of days and weeks, when you sit and then you think, or you see pictures, and that’s when you realise that this has happened. So, it was a great experience, very overwhelming and very welcoming. We got a seven-minute standing ovation for the film,” recalled Aamir.
Written and directed by Kashyap, Kennedy follows an insomniac police officer who secretly operates within a corrupt system. The film marks the third collaboration between Kashyap and Rahul Bhat after Ugly and Dobaaraa.
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February 20, 2026, 17:11 IST
