Internationally acclaimed Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is officially attached to headline Kabootar, the upcoming debut feature film from writer-and-director Ishan Sharma. The project is being produced by Nikhil Chaudhary under the banner of MDC Filmworks and is structured as an ambitious international co-production uniting companies across three countries: MDC Filmworks in India, Haiku Films in France, and Rein Film in Norway. Serving as co-producer on the Indian front is Rohit Saxena. With development and financing steps well underway, principal photography for the film is officially scheduled to commence in the historic alleys of Delhi in early 2027.
Set against the crumbling, labyrinthine architecture of Old Delhi, Kabootar centers on a compelling narrative involving a local street detective named Mehboob. Working in the shadows of the old city, Mehboob makes a living by secretly reading letters written to a Djinn, using the intimate confessions and desperate wishes of hopeful citizens to search for prospective clients. His solitary and eccentric existence takes an unexpected turn when his path intersects with two very different souls: Naoko, a Japanese tourist carrying the heavy emotional baggage of a painful past, and Ruby, a young child wandering through the urban landscape in search of his parents.
The casting of Siddiqui brings immense prestige and global recognition to the project. As one of the most decorated and versatile actors of his generation in Indian cinema, Siddiqui has built a stellar career defined by critically acclaimed performances in boundary-pushing independent films and massive streaming hits alike. His impressive filmography includes standout roles in Anurag Kashyap’s gritty crime epic Gangs of Wasseypur, Ritesh Batra’s poignant romance The Lunchbox, and Nandita Das’s biographical drama Manto—all of which made prestigious debuts at the Cannes Film Festival. On television and streaming platforms, he starred in Netflix’s groundbreaking thriller series Sacred Games and earned an International Emmy Award nomination for his brilliant lead performance in the Netflix film Serious Men.
Producer Nikhil Chaudhary expressed immense enthusiasm about securing Siddiqui for the lead role, emphasizing the actor’s unique capability to bridge commercial appeal, arthouse credibility, and international reach.
"Nawaz is an actor of extraordinary range," Chaudhary remarked. "He can be dangerous in Gangs of Wasseypur and heartbreakingly gentle in The Lunchbox. He’s also one of the few Indian actors with a real international presence. His films have gone to Cannes multiple times, and he has been nominated for an International Emmy. For an India-France-Norway co-production, that matters enormously in taking Kabootar to audiences around the world."
Chaudhary also highlighted Siddiqui’s deep personal connection to the setting of the film, adding, "Just as important, he knows Delhi intimately. For Ishan and I, this film is a love letter to the city, and we needed an actor who could understand it, feel it and embody it. He does all three."
Director Ishan Sharma, a graduate of the prestigious Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute whose previous short films The God of Panic Street (2019) and A Season of Mangoes (2022) have traveled to international festivals and won numerous accolades—including the Cinema Experimenta Award—developed the script for Kabootar through the production and storytelling workshop at the Festival des 3 Continents in Nantes, formerly known as the Produire au Sud Workshop.
Reflecting on the collaboration, Sharma shared his long-standing admiration for the actor. "Nawaz has been an invisible collaborator to a generation of young writers and directors, myself included. We write with his performances in our minds. From Anwar Ka Ajab Kissa to The Lunchbox, I’ve always admired the intensity and love he brings to a character, and his rare ability to move between hope and despair, light and dark, without losing either. Kabootar asks something of him that audiences haven’t seen before. To have him take that leap with us is a gift. I can’t wait to build this world with him."
Veteran casting director Dilip Shankar, whose impressive industry credits include monumental global and regional projects like Life of Pi and Monsoon Wedding, underscored the psychological and emotional complexity required to bring the protagonist to life.
"Nawazuddin will bring Mehboob’s eccentric humor, emotional depth and quiet vulnerability to life with rare authenticity," Shankar stated. "The character demands mischief, rage, tenderness and grace. With his rooted presence and remarkable nuance, Nawazuddin embodies Mehboob’s essential contradictions. His performance anchors Kabootar in the lived-in, poignant texture of Old Delhi."
Before heading into production, Kabootar has already generated significant industry buzz through its selection in a series of prominent international market showcases. The project has been featured at the Tasveer Film Market in Seattle and the Film Bazaar in Goa—organized by India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC)—as well as the NFDC lineup at the European Film Market in Berlin. Furthermore, Chaudhary is set to pitch the film in the APN+ Track of the Asian Producers Network in Singapore.
The international backing behind Kabootar brings together a powerhouse of European and Indian production entities. MDC Filmworks has a strong track record of producing acclaimed independent cinema, including Sanjoy Nag’s Yours Truly, which premiered at the Busan International Film Festival, and Rajat Kapoor’s dark comedy Kadakh, which premiered at the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival and took home the award for best screenplay.
Meanwhile, France’s Haiku Films—founded by Thomas Jaeger, Antoine Delahousse, and Claire Trinquet—brings critical pedigree from having produced Fi, which won the Grand Prize at San Sebastián in 2022, and co-producing Treasure, which screened at the Berlinale in 2024. Norway’s Rein Film, founded by Mathis Ståle Mathisen and Aleksander Olai Korsnes, is equally established on the global festival circuit, having brought My Fathers’ Daughter to the Toronto International Film Festival in 2024.
The creative team behind the camera includes an award-winning roster of cinematic talent. Cinematography will be handled by Udit Khurana, whose work includes Bayaan and Ghaath, while the sound design will be crafted by Sethu Venugopal, known for projects like Mother and Nocturnal Burger. Casting will continue under the supervision of Dilip Shankar. Additionally, the development and packaging of Kabootar was curated by CineV, the specialized platform founded by Nina Lath Gupta designed to connect high-potential cinematic projects with international financiers and strategic investors.
