Mumbai, Jan 21 (NationPress) Renowned actor Adil Hussain has joined the cast of ‘Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business’, taking over from Milind Soman in the role of the sensei for the sequel.

In discussing his casting, Adil remarked, "Viewing Lakadbaggha-1 was incredibly motivating. It seemed like at last, a film was being made that advocates for animal rights—something rare since the seventies' Haathi Mere Saathi."

He further stated: "I have been fortunate to collaborate with Anshuman Jha, both as a director and co-actor. The martial arts training and action scenes posed significant challenges, but Anshuman has been exceptionally kind and supportive. I am genuinely thankful to be a part of the Lakadbaggha franchise."

Promoted as the world's first animal lover vigilante universe, Lakadbaggha completed filming for its sequel in June 2025, following an ambitious expansion after lead actor Anshuman Jha also took on directorial duties.

The film is set to be a martial arts action extravaganza featuring an impressive international cast, including martial arts icons Sunny Pang (Headshot, Havoc) and Dan CChupong (OngBak). The Indian cast comprises Sarah Jane Dias, Vikram Kochar, and Anshuman Jha, who reprises his character as Arjun Bakshi, the ordinary man transformed into an animal-loving vigilante.

Lakadbaggha 2: The Monkey Business is anticipated for release in mid-2026, continuing a franchise that uniquely merges action, social awareness, and animal welfare into a compelling cinematic narrative.

Adil first gained recognition in Othello: A Play in Black and White, awarded the Edinburgh Fringe First, and subsequently in Goodbye Desdemona, directed by Roysten Abel. His Bengali film debut occurred alongside Soha Ali Khan in the period drama Iti Srikanta, where he starred in the lead role.

On television, he took on the lead role in the detective series Jasoos Vijay, produced by the BBC World Service Trust.

His performance in Abhishek Chaubey’s Ishqiya garnered him attention in Bollywood, though it was his first notable role in the Saif Ali Khan–Kareena Kapoor Khan film Agent Vinod. During this period, he also appeared in Italian director Italo Spinelli’s Gangor, Mira Nair’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

He later starred alongside Sridevi in the comedy-drama English Vinglish and played Inspector K. N. Singh in the Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha film Lootera, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.

At the start of the year, he featured in the Assamese film Raag: The Rhythm of Love, portraying Iqbal, marking his first leading role in an Assamese film. His other Assamese releases during this time included Sringkhal and Rodor Sithi. He also appeared in Hindi films such as Kaanchi: The Unbreakable as a CBI officer, The Xposé as Rajan, opposite Himesh Reshammiya, and Tigers as Bilal, opposite Emraan Hashmi.

His filmography includes the drama Parched, directed by Leena Yadav, which debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival. Subsequent projects included Commando 2: The Black Money Trail, Love Sonia, Mantra, Mukti Bhawan, Dobaara: See Your Evil, Kabuliwala, and Naval Enna Jewel.

He later appeared in S. Shankar’s 2.0, along with Aiyaary and Bioscopewala.