The Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere is now just days away, and it comes with a twist that changes the whole release story. Instead of opening in cinemas worldwide on 6 November 2026, as originally planned, Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business will first be seen by audiences in Belgium on 7 November 2026. Its worldwide theatrical release has moved to early 2027.
That is not a quiet delay. The makers have paired the new date with a festival honour, a plan to take the film to the American Film Market, and a return to Indian cinemas for the first Lakadbaggha. For fans of Arjun Bakshi, the animal-loving vigilante, November is still a big month — it is just playing out in a different order than expected.
Image Credit: First Ray Films — Official Teaser Poster
The Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere date, place and festival
The Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere takes place on 7 November 2026 at the Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival in Belgium, where the film has earned an official selection. Trade reports describe it as the first Indian action franchise to have its world premiere at that festival, a claim that underlines how unusual this route is for a Hindi action sequel.
A world premiere is the first public screening of a film, so the Belgium screening will be the first time Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business is shown to an audience anywhere. The makers said they were thrilled to be premiering the film during Diwali week in Belgium, and that they are looking at a grander worldwide theatrical release in early 2027, giving the sequel a chance to reach audiences on a larger scale.
Why the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere replaced the 6 November release
The original plan was a worldwide theatrical release on 6 November 2026, in the Diwali 2026 window. That date would have placed Lakadbaggha 2 in the same period as Ramayana, the huge Ranbir Kapoor and Yash epic that dominates November. Rather than clash with Ramayana, First Ray Films moved the sequel to early 2027.
The reason given by the makers is practical as well as strategic. The extra time, they said, will let them prepare for a wider theatrical release and a larger international rollout. The film will also be presented at the American Film Market in Los Angeles in November, where the team will explore opportunities for a major North American release in 2027. No exact worldwide release date in early 2027 has been announced yet, so fans should treat “early 2027” as the current window, not a fixed day.
What Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business is about
Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business continues the story of Arjun Bakshi, the Kolkata-based martial arts trainer who becomes an animal-loving vigilante. In the sequel, the fight moves beyond India. Arjun heads into the forests of West Java, Indonesia, where the story takes on international wildlife trafficking and the protection of endangered species.
At the centre of the sequel is the endangered Celebes crested macaque, a rare primate native to Indonesia, also known as the North Sulawesi “Yaki Monkey”. The teaser poster, unveiled in March 2026 on Anshuman Jha’s birthday, showed his character standing in a forested area, holding an ape’s hand, with a large city skyline glowing in sunset light behind them — a visual contrast between nature and the urban world that profits from wildlife crime. Reports describing the sequel also point to a high-stakes battle against an international wildlife smuggling ring trafficking monkeys and other exotic animals in Southeast Asia, filmed across Kolkata and Indonesia.
That mix — hand-to-hand action with a conservation message — is what made the first film different. The sequel keeps that identity, but on a bigger, cross-border canvas.
Who stars in Lakadbaggha 2
Anshuman Jha returns as Arjun Bakshi. Sarah Jane Dias and Adil Hussain are in key roles, with Hussain reported to have replaced Milind Soman in the role of the sensei. Reports on the wider cast also name Vikram Kochhar, Sunny Pang, who appeared with Tom Hardy in Havoc, and Dan Chupong, known from the Ong-Bak films, alongside Tony Jaa in international action roles.
A note on direction is worth making clearly, because reports have differed at different stages. Earlier 2026 reports credited Anshuman Jha as director of the sequel, while the October 2026 ANI update credits Victor Mukherjee, who directed the first film, as director of Lakadbaggha 2. The film is produced by First Ray Films, Anshuman Jha’s banner, which also produced the first Lakadbaggha.
Where the first Lakadbaggha fits in
To understand the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere, it helps to remember where Arjun Bakshi began. Lakadbaggha, released in cinemas on 13 January 2023, was directed by Victor Mukherjee, written by Alok Sharma and produced by First Ray Films. Anshuman Jha played Arjun, a martial arts trainer and animal lover whose dog Shanku goes missing. While searching for Shanku, Arjun comes across an Indian black-striped hyena — the “lakadbaggha” of the title — and uncovers an illegal animal trade in Kolkata led by Aryan, the brother of Crime Branch officer Akshara D’Souza, played by Riddhi Dogra. Paresh Pahuja played Aryan and Milind Soman played Arjun’s father, Tarun Bakshi.
The first film was billed as India’s first animal-lover vigilante film, built around Krav Maga hand-to-hand combat, and Anshuman Jha won Best Actor at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival for his portrayal of Arjun. It later found a wider audience on streaming, and the franchise has since expanded with a comic book series. That is the world the sequel is now taking to Belgium.
Watch the first film’s official trailer here, to refresh the world of Arjun Bakshi before the sequel arrives:
Please note, this is the trailer for the first Lakadbaggha (2023), not a trailer for Lakadbaggha 2, for which no official trailer has been released yet.
The first film is coming back to Indian cinemas in November
Indian fans will not have to wait until 2027 to see anything on the big screen. As part of the revised plan, the makers will bring the first Lakadbaggha back to select cinemas across India in November 2026, so audiences can revisit the birth story of the animal-lover vigilante franchise before Arjun Bakshi returns for his next adventure. No exact re-release date or list of cities has been announced in the reports checked for this article, so local listings are the place to watch for confirmed shows.
That re-release makes sense as a bridge, timed around the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere. It reminds new viewers who Arjun is, why the hyena matters, and why a sequel about a Yaki monkey in Indonesia is not a random jump — it is the same fight, against the same kind of cruelty, on a larger map.
What happens after the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere, in order
First, the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere in Belgium on 7 November 2026. Then, the film’s presentation at the American Film Market in November, as the team explores North American distribution for 2027. Alongside that, the first film’s re-release in select Indian cinemas during November 2026. Finally, the worldwide theatrical release of Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business in early 2027, on a date still to be announced. No OTT date or platform has been announced for the sequel, and no box office figures exist yet because the film has not had a commercial release.
For a franchise built on the idea that the voiceless deserve a fighter, that order — festival first, wider release later — is a gamble, but a deliberate one. A strong festival premiere can build the international buzz that a crowded Diwali weekend, headlined by Ramayana, might have drowned out. If the Belgium audience responds to Arjun’s new mission, the early-2027 release will arrive with a story already told in festival reports, not just in a poster.
If you are catching up on November’s other big releases, read our post on The Vvaan OTT release here: https://filmyyfly.com/2026/11/03/the-vvaan-ott-release/
Frequently asked questions
When is the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere? On 7 November 2026, at the Razor Reel Flanders Film Festival in Belgium.
When will Lakadbaggha 2 release in cinemas worldwide? In early 2027. The original 6 November 2026 date was moved to avoid a clash with Ramayana and to plan a wider release. No exact date has been announced yet.
Who stars in Lakadbaggha 2? Anshuman Jha returns as Arjun Bakshi, with Sarah Jane Dias and Adil Hussain in key roles, plus a wider reported cast including Vikram Kochhar, Sunny Pang and Dan Chupong.
What is Lakadbaggha 2 about? Arjun Bakshi’s fight against wildlife trafficking moves to West Java, Indonesia, centred on the endangered Celebes crested macaque, known as the Yaki Monkey.
Is there an OTT release date for Lakadbaggha 2? No. No streaming date or platform has been announced.
Is the first Lakadbaggha returning to cinemas? Yes, the makers plan to re-release the first film in select Indian cinemas in November 2026, though exact dates and cities have not been announced.
Why the Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere matters
The Lakadbaggha 2 world premiere is more than a date change. It shows a small, purpose-driven franchise choosing a festival stage over a crowded commercial weekend, and trusting that its message — that animals deserve protection, even when the fight crosses borders — will travel further that way. Whether that trust pays off will be clear in early 2027, when Arjun Bakshi finally returns to cinemas worldwide. Until then, Belgium on 7 November is where the next chapter begins.
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