Raman Raghav 2.0
Raman Raghav 2.0 is a 2016 Indian neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Anurag Kashyap. Inspired by the real Mumbai killer Raman Raghav from the 1960s, the film follows a cat-and-mouse dynamic between a brutal killer and a troubled police officer. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Ramanna, the killer, while Vicky Kaushal plays Raghavan, the detective. Sobhita Dhulipala is Simi, Raghavan’s partner who becomes caught in the violence around them. The story is told in eight chapters, showing how the killer and the cop mirror each other’s darkness.
Development and production
Kashyap originally wanted to make a period film about Raman Raghav, but after Bombay Velvet struggled at the box office he shifted the idea to a contemporary setting. He co-wrote the screenplay with Vasan Bala. The music was composed by Ram Sampath, with cinematography by Jay Oza and editing by Aarti Bajaj. The film was shot in real locations in Mumbai using guerrilla filmmaking techniques. Siddiqui prepared intensively for the role, delivering a long, challenging performance, while Kaushal prepared separately for his part and for a role that would contrast with the killer’s menace.
Release and reception
Raman Raghav 2.0 premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival and later screened at several other international festivals. It released in India on 24 June 2016 on about 770 screens and is also available on Netflix; internationally, it was released as Psycho Raman. The film received widespread critical acclaim for its tense atmosphere and Siddiqui’s chilling performance, though some critics noted issues with misogyny and the film’s bleak tone. It was praised as a gripping, intense thriller that pushes the boundaries of mainstream Indian cinema.
Box office and awards
With a modest budget of about ₹3.5 crore, the film earned around ₹270 million (roughly US$3.2 million) worldwide. Siddiqui’s work earned him Best Actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, and Kashyap received the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation Asian Award for his direction. The film also earned various jury prizes at festivals.
About Raman Raghav
The film takes its inspiration from Raman Raghav, who killed several homeless people in Mumbai in the late 1960s. He was captured and, after a long legal process, died in prison in 1988. Kashyap has said he was drawn to the idea of a criminal without clear motives or a traditional moral compass, which shaped the film’s dark, unsettling tone.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 09:18 (CET).