E-Paper
Exclusive| Adil Hussain replaces Milind Soman in Anshuman Jha's Lakadbaggha 2
As Anshuman Jha acted and directed Lakadbaggha 2 gears up for release this year, we have learnt that Adil Hussain has replaced Milind Soman in the sequel
Anshuman Jha-starter 2023 action-thriller Lakadbaggha is gearing up for the release of its sequel, Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business in mid-2026. Now, we have learnt that actor Adil Hussain has joined the film’s cast replacing actor Milind Soman in the role of the sensei in the sequel.
The role has been significantly expanded in the sequel and will see the sensei character play a pivotal role in the protagonist’s journey. Confirming his casting, Adil Hussain says, he was inspired by the first film of the series. “It felt like someone was finally making a film that stood up for the rights of animals—something we haven’t seen in decades, perhaps since Haathi Mere Saathi in the seventies,” he says, crediting Anshuman for his support during the action training and sequences: “The martial arts training and action sequences were challenging, but Anshuman was incredibly supportive and generous throughout the process.”
The film is a martial arts actioner and features martial arts legends Sunny Pang (Headshot, Havoc) and Dan CChupong (OngBak). The Indian cast includes Sarah Jane Dias, Vikram Kochar, and Anshuman, who reprises his role from the first film. The sequel’s shoot wrapped up in June 2025, and Anshuman also takes on the director’s chair for this film.
The 2023 release Lakadbaggha followed Arjun Bakshi, an animal lover, who discovers an illegal animal trade cell in Kolkata. He then turns into a vigilante to save the animals and chances upon a rare species of the Indian black-striped hyena. The film also starred Milind Soman and Riddhi Dogra.
