Rahul Bhat, Sunny Leone-starrer 'Kennedy' receives standing ovation at MAMI Film Festival

The team of Kennedy

Celebrating the premiere of 'Kennedy' at the ongoing Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. The momentous event spotlighted Rahul Bhat's gripping portrayal, eliciting an uproar as the audience showered a standing ovation on the performance delivered in Anurag Kashyap's directorial.

Taking to Instagram, Rahul shared a glimpse of the festival and captioned it, "Team Kennedy take a bow! Thank you Mumbai for an unforgettable response! Ye shaam kabhi nahi bhoolenge! your clapping and whistling and cheering will resonate in our hearts for a long long time"

Helmed by Anurag Kashyap, 'Kennedy' stars Sunny Leone, Rahul Bhat and Abhilash Thapliyal in the lead roles. The film revolves around an insomniac ex-policeman, long thought to be dead, but still operating for the corrupt system, and looking for redemption.

The ecstatic crowd bore witness to Rahul's enigmatic portrayal of a diabolical cop on the path to redemption. The audiences singled out a rather unconventional way of apple-peeling in the opening scene. Apparently, Rahul peeled 500 apples setting the tone for the arresting opening visual. The actor's astounding dedication also unfolded with his jaw-dropping physical metamorphosis, a staggering 20kg gain to personify the sleep-deprived cop, further solidifying his immersive commitment to the role.

Bhat, who collaborated with Kashyap on the critically acclaimed Ugly (2014) and Dobaaraa (2022), counts him among the finest writer-directors in the country today. But, more importantly, he regards the filmmaker as someone with whom he has developed a spiritual connection. "No one understands the medium the way Anurag does. He leaves you alone, only nudging you here and there. On the first few days of Kennedy's shoot, it was such a silent set that it scared me. When I asked him why he wasn't talking to me, he laughed, ‘We are creating something. Go on. Let's not talk.' That's our relationship. It has more silence than noise."

The film's triumphant journey traversed continents, captivating audiences worldwide. From its enthralling premiere at the illustrious 2023 Cannes Film Festival to the enchanting showcases at the Sydney Film Festival and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, 'Kennedy' roused ardent adoration.

The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival returns with an impressive list of some of the top films from around the world with over 250 films spread over 10 days. The curation boasts over 40 World Premieres, 45 Asia Premieres, and 70+ South Asia Premieres, with a record-breaking number of 1000+ submissions for the South Asia programme.