Nawazuddin Siddiqui to Lead Delhi‑Set Detective Drama “Kabootar”

What Happened

Nawazuddin Siddiqui will play Mehboob, a street detective in Old Delhi, in the debut feature "Kabootar" by writer‑director Ishan Sharma.

Production Details

The film is a co‑production between India’s MDC Filmworks, France’s Haiku Films and Norway’s Rein Film, with Rohit Saxena co‑producing for India. Principal photography is set to start in Delhi in early 2027. The story follows Mehboob, who reads letters addressed to a Djinn, and his interactions with Naoko, a Japanese tourist, and Ruby, a child searching for his parents.

Cast and Crew

Nawazuddin, known for roles in "Gangs of Wasseypur", "The Lunchbox", "Manto", "Sacred Games" and an International Emmy‑nominated performance in "Serious Men", was praised by producer Nikhil Chaudhary for his range and global profile. Casting director Dilip Shankar highlighted Siddiqui’s ability to blend humor, rage, tenderness and grace. Key crew includes cinematographer Udit Khurana, sound designer Sethu Venugopal and casting director Dilip Shankar.

Market and Reception

"Kabootar" has been selected for the Tasveer Film Market in Seattle, the Film Bazaar in Goa, and the European Film Market in Berlin. Chaudhary will pitch the project at the APN+ Track in Singapore later this month. The film was curated by Nina Lath Gupta’s CineV platform.

Context

Co‑productions like this aim to combine local storytelling with international funding, helping Indian films reach wider audiences through festivals and global markets.