Anurag Kashyap Turns Cop in Adivi Sesh-Mrunal Thakur Starrer ‘Dacoit’ (EXCLUSIVE)

Indian auteur Anurag Kashyap is set to trade his director’s chair for a police badge in the upcoming bilingual action drama “Dacoit – Ek Prem Katha,” toplining Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur.

The addition of Kashyap to the high-octane film marks the latest casting coup for the project, which is shooting simultaneously in the Hindi and Telugu languages. The filmmaker-actor will portray a fearless inspector characterized as a devout follower of the Hindu God Ayyappa with zero tolerance for corruption. His character is written as sharp-minded, witty, and sarcastic, according to the filmmakers.

The production team has also dropped a new poster that ratchets up anticipation for the gritty actioner. “Dacoit” follows an enraged convict on a revenge mission against an ex-girlfriend who betrayed him, with his dangerous plot to ensnare her unfolding into a tale of love, betrayal and vengeance.

First-time helmer Shaneil Deo is directing from a screenplay he penned with Sesh. Supriya Yarlagadda produces with Suniel Narang co-producing. Annapurna Studios presents the S.S. Creations venture, which is currently lensing in Hyderabad before moving to Maharashtra for an extended schedule.

“Playing a police officer who is an Ayyappa devotee is both fun and challenging,” Kashyap said. “The conundrums of duty versus dharma, and to go about doing his job with a dry sense of humor is fantastic. I am truly looking forward to playing this character in two languages, shooting in Hindi, as well as in Telugu. To get the same impact in both the languages is the challenging part, something I am thoroughly enjoying.”

Kashyap, best known for helming gritty films like “Gangs of Wasseypur” and “Black Friday,” has carved out an intriguing side hustle in front of the camera. While he played a corrupt cop in Bollywood film “Akira,” his breakout as an antagonist came in the Tamil-language thriller “Imaikkaa Nodigal,” followed by his darkly comedic turn in Netflix’s “AK vs AK,” where he locked horns with Anil Kapoor in a meta showdown. Kashyap doubled down on menace in “Haddi” and recently added “Maharaja,” “Rifle Club,” and “Bad Cop” to his growing list of acting credits, further cementing his ability to slip into morally ambiguous roles. Whether playing a menacing adversary or a shady operator, Kashyap’s on-screen choices remain as unpredictable and subversive as his filmmaking.