Quick answer: Naam Shabana is a 2017 Hindi spy thriller directed by Shivam Nair and written by Neeraj Pandey, with Taapsee Pannu as the agent Shabana Khan. It is a spin-off of Baby (2015) that tells Shabana’s origin story, with Manoj Bajpayee, Prithviraj Sukumaran and a special appearance by Akshay Kumar. It released on 31 March 2017, as announced, and was a commercial success.
About this page
This page was first written in early 2017, before the film came out, to share its cast, release date and first posters. Naam Shabana has since been released, so we keep the page as a record of what was announced, correct what turned out to be wrong, and add how the film did. Details were checked again in October 2026.
Naam Shabana: key facts
- Type of film: Hindi action spy thriller
- Director: Shivam Nair
- Writer: Neeraj Pandey
- Producers: Neeraj Pandey, Shital Bhatia and Aruna Bhatia; Friday Filmworks and Plan C Studios were among the production companies
- Distributors: T-Series Films and Reliance Entertainment
- Released: 31 March 2017, also dubbed into Tamil and Telugu
Cast of Naam Shabana
- Taapsee Pannu as Shabana Khan
- Manoj Bajpayee as Ranvir Singh, the agent who recruits her
- Prithviraj Sukumaran as Tony, the arms dealer Mikhail
- Akshay Kumar as Ajay Singh Rajput (special appearance, reprising his role from Baby)
- Anupam Kher as Omprakash Shukla and Danny Denzongpa as Feroz Ali Khan (special appearances)
An earlier version of this article listed Rana Daggubati in the cast. He played Jai in Baby, but he is not in the credited cast of Naam Shabana.
A spin-off of Baby
The original article called Naam Shabana a prequel to Baby. It is generally described as a spin-off: it goes back to show how Shabana Khan, the agent Taapsee Pannu played in a supporting role in Baby, was recruited and trained. Baby, released on 23 January 2015, starred Akshay Kumar and was written and directed by Neeraj Pandey. It received generally positive reviews and was a commercial success.
Neeraj Pandey was already known for A Wednesday! (2008), Special 26 (2013), Baby and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016), the biopic of the former India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. For Naam Shabana he wrote and co-produced, while Shivam Nair directed.
Release date and first look
The release date reported here, 31 March 2017, held. The first-look poster focused on Taapsee Pannu, with Akshay Kumar in the background. Filming had started in Malaysia in September 2016, where Akshay Kumar and Taapsee Pannu shot action sequences, moved to Mumbai in November 2016 and wrapped in February 2017. Taapsee Pannu trained in mixed martial arts for the role.
When this page was first written, Taapsee Pannu was coming off Pink (2016). That film was a critical and commercial success; it won Best Film at the Star Screen Awards in December 2016 and later the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.
How Naam Shabana performed
According to Bollywood Hungama, Naam Shabana opened with about ₹5.12 crore nett in India and earned about ₹18.76 crore in its opening weekend. Its India total was about ₹36.76 crore nett (₹51.06 crore gross) and its worldwide gross about ₹57.56 crore. The film received mixed reviews but was a commercial success. It was banned in Pakistan a day after its release.
Taapsee Pannu’s post about the film
The original version of this page included a screenshot of Taapsee Pannu’s social media post about the film, kept above. For more from the film’s guest star, see our collection of Akshay Kumar’s famous dialogues. Other Hindi films of early 2017 are covered in our list of Bollywood movies released January to March 2017, and in our pages on Rangoon and Thugs of Hindostan.
Frequently asked questions
Is Naam Shabana a sequel to Baby?
It is a spin-off rather than a direct sequel. It tells the origin story of Shabana Khan, the agent from Baby, and shows how she joined the secret unit.
Is Akshay Kumar in Naam Shabana?
Yes, in a special appearance as Ajay Singh Rajput, his character from Baby. The lead is Taapsee Pannu.
When did Naam Shabana release?
It released on 31 March 2017, in Hindi, with dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions.
Who directed Naam Shabana?
Shivam Nair directed it. Neeraj Pandey, who directed Baby, wrote and co-produced it.
Credits, dates and box office checked in October 2026 against the film’s published credits and Bollywood Hungama’s box office page. Box office figures are attributed because sources differ.
