John Abraham‘s upcoming film ‘Romeo Akbar Walter’ is based on the subcontinent’s most definitive battle fought. The film is helmed by Robbie Grewal which delves into the human side of the military intelligence and underlines the sacrifices made by the officials who choose to remain nameless and faceless despite of their great contribution to the national security.
John will essay the role of an Indian intelligence officer and the movie will also feature Jackie Shroff, who has been roped into essay a character based on RN Kao, the first chief and founding father of the R&AW (Research and Analysis Wing). RN Kao was a fierce strategist and very private in his ways. He played a very important role in the Indo-Pak conflict of 1971. RN Kao was also the man behind the creation of Mukti Vahini, a homegrown guerilla force that battled former East Pakistan for Independence.
After giving confirmation, Jackie was informed on his character, which is a fictionalized version of the RAW chief. RN Kao was only photographed twice in his entire life and there is a little known about him in the public domain.
Talking about the same, director Robbie Grewal told BT, “It’s a fictitious character culled out of what we know about Mr. Kao. It’s said that it was his idea to train the locals in East Pakistan to fight their battle for independence and our army would back it. Now, that is the kind of battle India fought in 1971, which was the reverse of what had happened in Vietnam. So, Jackie’s character is an important one, which puts a lot of things in perspective. The part needed an actor who could have a presence without screaming for attention, someone who could bring gravitas and a required degree of intensity in every frame. Wo bina bole bahut bol jaate hain. There’s an understated aura about the character that Jackie grasps very well. Mr. Kao also had an old-school vibe, had refined tastes and was a looker. Jackie fits that bill perfectly.”