Khashaba Release Date: Nagraj Popatrao Manjule’s Sports Biopic Arrives in Cinemas Worldwide Next Year

The official teaser is out — and Nagraj Popatrao Manjule’s Khashaba is set to open worldwide in cinemas on January 1, 2027, bringing to life one of the most forgotten yet extraordinary chapters in Indian sporting history.

Release Date Confirmed: January 1, 2027

Jio Studios and Aatpat Productions have set the stage for one of the most significant cinematic events in Indian cinema by unveiling the teaser and announcing the worldwide theatrical release of Nagraj Manjule’s Khashaba on January 1, 2027.

The teaser, which first premiered in cinemas to an overwhelming audience response, is now live digitally.

The Teaser: What It Shows

The teaser, which first premiered in cinemas to an overwhelming audience response, is now live digitally. It offers a spectacular, high-octane glimpse into the world of traditional wrestling mud-pits (akhadaa), capturing the film’s epic cinematic scale, raw emotional depth and energy.

The teaser powerfully captures the grandeur of the traditional wrestling arena, striking visuals, an intense mood, emotional grit, and the film’s cinematic scope.

The teaser, which debuted in theatres before its digital release, depicts the world of competitive wrestling against the backdrop of a newly independent India.

The Story: India’s Forgotten Olympic Hero

This highly anticipated Marathi biographical sports drama chronicles the extraordinary story of wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, Independent India’s very first individual Olympic medal winner.

Khashaba centers on the wrestler’s rise from Maharashtra’s traditional akharas, or wrestling mud-pits, to a bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, making him independent India’s first individual Olympic medalist.

Set against the backdrop of newly independent India, the film tells the story of a determined wrestler from Maharashtra. It traces the extraordinary life of Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, who overcame extreme hardships to win the bronze medal at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics — a historic achievement that etched his name in Indian sports history.

Who Was Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav?

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav (15 January 1926 – 14 August 1984) was an Indian freestyle wrestler renowned for becoming the first individual athlete from independent India to win an Olympic medal, earning bronze in the bantamweight division at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki.

Born in the rural village of Goleshwar in Maharashtra’s Karad district, Jadhav grew up in a family steeped in wrestling tradition, as the youngest of five sons trained from a young age by his father, Dadasaheb Jadhav, in local akhadas.

Standing at just 5 feet 5 inches with a lean build, he earned the nickname “Pocket Dynamo” for his agile, technique-driven style, mastering moves like the dhak — a headlock followed by a swift throw — and building exceptional stamina through rigorous routines of hundreds of push-ups and sit-ups daily.

Khashaba is the only Indian Olympic medalist who did not receive the Padma Award. In 2000, the Government of India posthumously awarded Khashaba the Arjuna Award for his contributions to wrestling.

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav: Key Facts

Nagraj Popatrao Manjule: The Visionary Director

The film marks Manjule’s return to Marathi-language cinema following his Indian National Film Award-winning Fandry and his 2016 hit Sairat. It comes after his 2022 Hindi-language feature debut Jhund, starring Amitabh Bachchan, and his Prime Video series Matka King, starring Vijay Varma, which premiered earlier this year.

Jio Studios, the formidable powerhouse behind recent historic blockbusters like the Dhurandhar duology and Raja Shivaji, joins hands with visionary director Nagraj Manjule, who returns to the director’s chair after his National Award-winning masterpiece Fandry and his path-breaking phenomenon Sairat (2016).

Nagraj Manjule’s Filmography

Cast and Crew

The identity of the actor playing Jadhav has not yet been revealed. A new face has been selected to portray Khashaba.

The supporting cast includes Jitendra Joshi, Mahesh Manjrekar, Girish Kulkarni, Vaibhav Mangale, Chhaya Kadam and Gargee Kulkarni.

Supporting Cast

Presented by Jio Studios and Aatpat Productions, Khashaba is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Gargee Kulkarni. Khashaba features music by the composer duo Ajay-Atul.

Technical Crew

A Historic Sports Biopic for the Big Screen

Touted to become the largest sports drama to ever be mounted in regional cinema, the film brings to life a deeply moving story of Indian sporting history to the global stage.

Jio Studios, which previously backed the Dhurandhar duology, which are amongst the highest grossing Indian films of all time, and Raja Shivaji, which is the highest-grossing Marathi-language film of all time, is producing alongside Aatpat Productions.

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