Raftaar, a Hindi drama set in India’s start-up world, was released in theatres on 16 October 2026, according to Outlook, Plex and Dazzlerr. The release date was moved from 24 July, according to Outlook and Adgully, and the new date falls on the Dussehra weekend, according to the Outlook report.
The film stars Rajkummar Rao and Keerthy Suresh, with Tanya Maniktala, Rajat Kapoor, Anurag Thakur and Rohan Verma in significant roles, according to Outlook and Plex. It is directed by Aditya Nimbalkar, with story and screenplay by Rohan Narula, and it is executive-produced by Tarun Bali, according to the Plex page.
It is the first theatrical production of Kampa Film, a banner run by Patralekhaa, and is presented by Amazon MGM Studios, according to the reports. Amazon MGM Studios is also behind the comedy-horror film Nayyi Navelli, which opened on the same day, as IndiaX24 has reported, so the studio has two Hindi releases in one weekend.
The story centres on a fast-rising start-up and a charged relationship between a driven man and an equally ambitious woman. Money, power and greed create conflict as they experience what the summary calls an intoxicating rise and a devastating fall, according to the reports. The film’s subject is related to the Indian start-up boom that IndiaX24 covers in its funding reports, in which Indian start-ups raised $2.2 billion in the third quarter.
The reason for the postponement is not stated. Outlook says that Rao’s statement suggests that the filmmakers wanted more time to develop the project, and quotes him as saying that the film ‘deserves the time to grow into something truly memorable’. That is the actor’s remark and not an official explanation.
The film’s date coincides with Rao’s other release, Prahaar: The Untold Story of Ujjwal Nikam, which also opened on 16 October, as IndiaX24 reports in a separate article. The actor therefore has two films in cinemas on the same day, a calculation of the situation and not a statement in the reports. Whether the studios planned this is not known.
Reviews were not available at the time of writing, as the film was opening that day. The reports reviewed do not give the film’s budget, running time or advance bookings, so those details are not reported.
The film’s themes are timely. Start-up funding in India was $2.2 billion in the third quarter, with 210 deals, according to Inc42, and the Raftaar plot of a rapid rise and a fall draws on that world without being about any real company, as far as the reports indicate. The reports reviewed do not say whether the film is based on real events.
Keerthy Suresh is a leading actor in South Indian cinema, and IndiaX24 has an earlier biography of her. The reports reviewed describe Raftaar as one of the most anticipated Hindi theatrical releases of the year, which is the wording of a listing site and not a verified claim.
The release comes in a crowded week, with Jailer 2 in its second day, Drishyam 3 well past Rs 500 crore worldwide, and Nayyi Navelli and Prahaar all in cinemas, as IndiaX24 has reported.
IndiaX24 will report on the film’s reception and its box office.
Image: Rajkummar Rao (file photo). Photo by Strivedi1, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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