The lead character is named Kennedy because director Anurag Kashyap had Tamil actor Vikram (born Kennedy John Victor) in mind as the lead when he wrote the story.
There was Sudhir Mishra's shelved film " Ek Raat Achanak" (2001) directed by Sudhir Mishra starring Sanjay Dutt and Tejaswini Kholapure. Written by Anurag Kashyap. . It was eventually made as Kennedy in 2023.
The film will have its premiere at Cannes film festival .