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Ikkis

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Ikkis
Theatrical release poster
Directed bySriram Raghavan
Written by
  • Sriram Raghavan
  • Arijit Biswas
  • Pooja Ladha Surti
Produced by
  • Dinesh Vijan
  • Binny Padda
  • Sharada Karki Jalota
  • Poonam Shivdasani
Starring
CinematographyAnil Mehta
Edited byMonisha R. Baldawa
Music bySongs:
White Noise Collectives
Score:
Sachin–Jigar
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 1 January 2026 (2026-01-01)
Running time
147 minutes[3]
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi
Budget₹60 crore[4]
Box officeest. ₹36.95 crore[5]

Ikkis (transl. Twenty One) is a 2026 Indian Hindi-language biographical war drama film directed and co-written by Sriram Raghavan. It is co-produced by Dinesh Vijan, Binny Padda, Sharada Karki Jalota, and Poonam Shivdasani under Maddock Films. It stars Agastya Nanda in his theatrical debut, Dharmendra in his final film role & also Asrani in a posthumous appearance, and Jaideep Ahlawat and Simar Bhatia. It is based on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra award, and centered around the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War. The film's title is in reference to the age at which Arun Khetarpal attained martyrdom.[6]

Ikkis was scheduled to release theatrically on 25 December 2025, however it was postponed to 1 January 2026.[7][8] It received positive reviews from critics but emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office.[9]

Plot

[edit]

The film chronicles the events in the life of 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and eventually his martyrdom in the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India Pakistan War. It also depicts the events that happen when his father, Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal (retd), visits Pakistan 30 years later.[10] On 14 October 1971, at a training camp in Ahmednagar, officers celebrate 2nd Lt. Arun Khetarpal's 21st birthday while it is announced that training is cancelled due to increasing tension at the border. Time shifts to 2001 in Lahore, Pakistan, where Brigadier Jaan Mohammed Nisar prepares for the arrival of Madan Lal Khetarpal, Arun's father, who is staying for a college reunion and to visit his village, Sargodha. Time shifts back and forth and show Arun's biography, including falling in love with a girl named Kiran Kochar, being a tank commander, going to Pakistan on 3 December 1971 (the day Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared war on Pakistan), being mistaken for the Pakistani army by civilians, fighting against over 14 Patton tanks, and ultimately breathing his last (which is later revealed that it was caused by Nisar himself). It also shows ML Khetarpal visiting the spot where his son died. In the end, it is revealed that Kiran still sends a birthday cake to Arun's family, although she broke up with Arun in June 1971.

Cast

[edit]

Production

[edit]

Development

[edit]

The film was produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films and Binny Padda, alongside Sharada Karki Jalota, Keval Shah, Antara Banerjee, Naved Farooqui, and Poonam Shivdasani. The film has been co-written by Sriram Raghavan, Arijit Biswas, and Pooja Ladha Surti. It was in the pipeline since 2019 when it was first announced on Arun Khetarpal's 69th birth anniversary and was supposed to go on floors in 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India.[14][10][16] The film has been shot across various locations in North India.[17] The film has a poem titled Aj vi ji karda hai, pind apne nu jaanwa, which has been written and orated by late actor Dharmendra himself.[18][19] Agastya Nanda who plays Arun Khetarpal underwent a strict regimen as the role required a strict fitness requirement.[20]

Casting

[edit]

The film was first announced in 2019 on 69th anniversary of Arun Khetarpal's birth, with Varun Dhawan originally cast in the lead role. After COVID-19, Dhawan couldn't do the film due to date scheduling issues. A new cast was announced on 8 December 2022, the 87th birthday of Dharmendra, retaining only him in the role of the father Madan Lal Khetarpal, newcomer Agastya Nanda was cast in the role of Arun Khetarpal and Akshay Kumar's niece debutant Simar Bhatia was finalised as the female lead.[21][13][10][22] Jaideep Ahlawat was cast as Pakistan Army officer Jaan Mohammad, the character is based on Khwaja Mohammed Naseer, who confessed to Arun's father that he was the man who pulled the tank's trigger that killed his son in the Battle of Basantar.[11] Sikandar Kher, who plays Risaldar Sagat Singh joined the cast in February 2025.[23] Shree Bishnoi, a Rajasthani actor who plays Sowar Parag Singh as the driver of Arun's tank 'Famagusta' also joined the cast on 15 October 2024.[12] Comedy icon Asrani who died late last year was also cast in a small role.[15] Vijay Ganguly has been roped in as the choreographer for the film.[24] Sujeet Subhash Sawant and sriram Kannan Iyengar did the production design of the film, Bishwadeep Chatterjee was roped in for sound designing and Amrit Singh with Alexander Samokhvalov are responsible for action sequences.[25]

Filming

[edit]

The film was shot across various locations in North India.[26] During shooting sequences Dharmendra, for better understanding, improvised and rewrote his dialogues in Urdu and other actors cues as well. He was eager to watch the complete film but managed to see only about 50 percent in post-production rushes.[27] During the filming, the late actor had recorded a message that 'India and Pakistan' must see the film. This Behind the Scene message was shared by the production team on his 90th birthday on 8 December 2025.[28] During filming of the song 'ikkis' Dharmendra despite his advanced age used to stay awake till early morning to complete the song.[29] Agastya Nanda who plays Arun Khetarpal underwent a strict regimen as the role required a strict fitness requirement. To prepare for the role, Nanda did extensive training for 2-3 years at the Indian Army and Poona Horse regiment, followed by National Defence Academy at Khadakwasala, Pune. Later, he went to Aurangabad, where he did tank training for a few days.[30] As the film is based on a tank war involving Centurion tanks, that dont exist except as showpieces, the filmmakers recreated 3 Centurion tanks from scratch to film the tank battle. Production designer Sujeet Subhash Sawant and Sriram Kannan Iyengar designed and executed the exterior and interior of tanks, period Punjab villages as set and army camps. Even though special effects have been used in the film, the tank war sequences were shot in actual locations like marshlands and rivers. Each of these 3 tanks weighed 4 to 5 tons and where built to move in proper speed. The production designers also created 2 dummy Centurion tanks for filming long shots. These tanks were built over a period of 3 to 6 months. A major chunk of film's budget was spent to build these tanks.[31]

Post production

[edit]

Sachin-Jigar as part of the post production work provided the background score for the film while Biswadeep Chatterjee did the sound mixing.[14] This is the first Sriram Raghavan film which saw an extensive use of visual effects (VFX) in post-production, to enhance the overall cinematic experience.[26] The late actor Dharmendra struggled during dubbing sessions in October 2025. Bobby Deol, son of Dharmendra, gave the voice-over to the younger version of his father's character to add authenticity to the film and has been given a special thanks in the end credits.[32]

Soundtrack

[edit]
Main article: Ikkis (soundtrack)

The film's soundtrack is composed by White Noise Collectives, with lyrics written by Amitabh Bhattacharya. The album accompanying five-tracks—four of them being preceded as singles—was released under the Sony Music label on 1 January 2026.[14][33]

Marketing

[edit]

The first look poster featuring Agastya Nanda as Arun Khetarpal was released on 14 October 2025 on Khetarpal's birth anniversary.[34] During the filming, Dharmendra recorded a message that "India and Pakistan" must see the film. This behind the scenes message was shared by the production team on his 90th birthday on 8 December 2025.[35] The film was promoted in a special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati season 17. Agastya Nanda, his mother Shweta Bachchan Nanda, and his sister Navya Naveli Nanda featured as the guests in the show which is hosted by Agastya's maternal grandfather Amitabh Bachchan.[36] IGP, a global direct-to-consumer gifting platform, partnered with Maddock Films to create a limited-edition co-branded planter inspired by Khetarpal’s values of bravery, resilience, and duty. Each planter has artwork, a self-watering pot, a hardy snake plant, and soil from the Arun Khetarpal memorial at The Lawrence School, Sanawar as a living tribute to Arun Khetarpal’s legacy.[37]

A special screening of the film was held in New Delhi on 23 December 2025. The event was attended by the production team of the film, family members of Arun Khetarpal and family members of his tank crew. Also present at the event were Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, and other Indian Army personnel and their families. At the event Singh felicitated the family members of Khetarpal and his tank crew.[38] A day before, a private screening of the film was held in Bombay, which was attended by the film's crew as well Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and his sister (mother of Simar Bhatia).[39] On 29 December 2025, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol hosted a special screening of the film at PVR ICON in Andheri, Mumbai as a tribute to their father Dharmendra.[40]

Release

[edit]

Theatrical

[edit]

The film originally planned for a release on 2 October 2025, but was postponed to 25 December 2025 (around the 54th anniversary of Arun Khetarpal's death), mainly to avoid a clash with Kantara: Chapter 1 as well as to make use of the Christmas holiday season. It was further postponed to 1 January 2026, becoming the first film to release in 2026.[41][42] The release was postponed due to astrological reasons, as per Amitabh Bachchan the grandfather of Agastya Nanda.[43][44] CBFC gave a U/A 13+ certificate to the film and asked for several modifications. These included blurring alcohol names, adding a smoking warning, removing a tank name, removing a 15-second dialogue on India–Pakistan relations and the addition of certain voice-overs and end-credit changes.[3] The film released in over 4000 screen across India. Yash Raj Films distributed the film overseas.[2]

Pre-release business

[edit]

Despite the week long delay due to astrological reasons, the film Ikkis has registered a slow start in advance booking on Wednesday, with only around 30 thousand tickets sold. This resulted in business of around est.₹ 2 crore for opening day of 1 January 2026. This is mainly due to the continued buzz around the film Dhurandhar.[45]

Home media

[edit]

The film began streaming on Amazon Prime Video from 26 February 2026.[46][47]

Reception

[edit]

Critical reception

[edit]

Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and said that "Not the sort of Bollywood war movie that goes all guns blazing and tom-tomming the virtues of battlefield bellicosity, Ikkis conserves its firepower and spreads it out judiciously over its two-and-a-half-hour runtime."[48]

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express rated it 3/5 stars and writes in her review that "Agastya Nanda-Dharmendra-starrer is a war film that makes you feel in a way that movies these days are not either able to or want to. It eschews gratuitous violence and jingoism as it explores the harrowing fallout of conflict."[49]

Rahul Desai of The Hollywood Reporter India commented that "The first Hindi film of 2026 excels as both a patriotic war drama and a poignant anti-war epic. ... Come for the heroism, stay for the hugs."[50]

Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com rated it 3.5 stars out of 5 and observed that "Where Dhurandhar leaned into aggressive bloodlust through its acerbic storytelling, Ikkis moves in the opposite direction, asking us to see people beyond uniforms, slogans, or sides."[51]

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times also gave 3.5 stars out of 5 and stated that "Overall, Ikkis works best when it stops trying to be a war film and becomes a painful reminder. It tells you something unbearable: that our freedoms were bought by people who never got to live theirs."[52]

Anuj Kumar of The Hindu said that "Ikkis succeeds as a thoughtful, tear-jerking homage to a young warrior that values soul over spectacle."[53]

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in writes that "Ikkis sidesteps the vengeance-fuelled hyperbole that results when Indians run into Pakistanis. Scene after scene reveals Raghavan’s efforts to put his own stamp on a genre that has been lost to jingoism."[54]

A critic of Bollywood Hungama gave 4 stars out of 5 and said that "Ikkis is not just a war film. It is a deeply human story about courage, sacrifice and reconciliation".[55]

Lachmi Deb Roy of Firstpost also rated 4/5 stars and said that "Ikkis is just the kind of war-drama we need in this ruptured mainstream cinema scenario."[56]

Devesh Sharma of Filmfare also rated 4/5 stars and said that "Sriram Raghavan doesn’t just direct a war drama; he offers an actor a graceful goodbye, and reminds us that the truest war stories are those that mourn what is lost rather than celebrate what is won."[57]

Uday Bhatia of Mint praise the film saying that "In an increasingly belligerent and hysterical Hindi cinema, I’m not sure there'll be takers for Ikkis' pacifism. Those who watch it for the director might be surprised. There was a lot of talk when the trailer released about how this didn't seem like a Raghavan film, which is to say something acidic, smart and self-aware. It's true that sweet, sincere Ikkis is tonally apart from anything he's made."[58]

Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars and said that "Unlike most war films, Ikkis doesn’t glorify conflict; it strives for realism. There’s no heavy reliance on CGI or dramatic sound design, which largely works in the film’s favour. However, the music is underwhelming and does little to elevate the narrative or emotional beats."[59]

Box office

[edit]

Ikkis collected est.₹7.28 crore on its opening day, despite facing stiff competition from Dhurandhar (2025). As of 22 January 2026, after end of 3rd week, the film has grossed est. ₹ 36.89 crore.[5][60]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Chaturvedi, Shachi (31 December 2025). "Dharmendra's Ikkis To Get 30-40% Shows In Theatres Amid Dhurandhar's Craze: Report". News18. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Yash Raj Films to release Ikkis overseas; industry heavyweights Aditya Chopra and Dinesh Vijan collaborate for the FOURTH time in 2025". Bollywood Hungama. 15 December 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "EXCLUSIVE: CBFC deletes 15-second dialogue on India-Pakistan relations in Ikkis". Bollywood Hungama. 30 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Ikkis Box Office Collection Day 5: हिट होने से कुछ ही दूर धर्मेंद्र की फिल्म, अगस्त्य नंदा ने तोड़ा मामा अभिषेक बच्चन का रिकॉर्ड" [Ikkis Box Office Collection Day 5: Dharmendra's film is just a step away from becoming a hit; Agastya Nanda breaks his uncle Abhishek Bachchan's record]. NDTV (in Hindi). 7 January 2026. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Ikkis Box Office Collection". Bollywood Hungama. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Ikkis trailer: Agastya Nanda takes on the role of war hero Arun Khetarpal in Sriram Raghavan's film". NDTV. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Ikkis trailer out: Agastya Nanda channels war hero Arun Khetarpal's courage and sacrifice. Watch". Hindustan Times. 29 October 2025. Retrieved 29 October 2025.
  8. ^ "'Ikkis' postponed for THIRD time: Agastya Nanda-Dharmendra starrer shifts to January amid 'Dhurandhar' buzz; avoids Christmas clash with Kartik Aaryan-Ananya Panday's film". The Times of India. 17 December 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Ikkis writers react to comparisons with Dhurandhar: 'A gangster film's moral code can't align with a war film'". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  10. ^ a b c "'Ikkis' Trailer: Agastya Nanda Transforms Into War Hero Arun Khetarpal In Sriram Raghavan's Epic". The Hollywood Reporter India.
  11. ^ a b "I killed your son Lt Arun Khetarpal: Pak soldier's confession to Indian Brigadier". India Today. 31 October 2025.
  12. ^ a b "मिठड़िया गांव से निकले युवा ने मनवाया लोहा, बॉलीवुड में अभिनय से छोड़ रहा है छाप". Rajasthan Patrika (in Hindi). Retrieved 2 December 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Ikkis trailer: Agastya Nanda fights for India in Sriram Raghavan-directed war drama". Telegraph India.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Ikkis Cast & Crew". Bollywood Hungama.
  15. ^ a b "'Ikkis': 'Veeru' Dharmendra and 'Jailor' Asrani of 'Sholay' set to reunite one last time in Sriram Raghavan's film". The Times of India. 29 November 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Sriram Raghavan"s "Ikkis" to come out in theatres on October 2". The Print.
  17. ^ "Sriram Raghavan's 'Ikkis' with Agastya Nanda will be shot in North India later this year, more details revealed - Exclusive". times of india.
  18. ^ "Dharmendra's emotional poem in Ikkis is an ode to his beloved pind. Watch". India Today.
  19. ^ "Exclusive: Tired Dharmendra Shot His Last Film Ikkis Despite A 'Killing Schedule', Says Director Sriram Raghavan". NDTV.
  20. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Agastya Nanda's most intense transformation yet: 2–3 years of Army + regiment drills, then NDA — Ikkis training details OUT!". bollywood hungama. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  21. ^ "Not Varun Dhawan but Agastya Nanda to play war hero Arun Khetarpal PVC in Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis". India Today. 8 December 2022.
  22. ^ "Dharmendra to share screen with Agastya Nanda in Sriram Raghavan's 'Ikkis'". The Economic Times. 9 December 2022. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  23. ^ "Ikkis: Sikandar Kher joins Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Agastya Nanda in Sriram Raghavan's next war drama". NDTV. Archived from the original on 2 June 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  24. ^ "Ikkis choreographer lauds Dharmendra's dedication for shooting till 4 AM, calls him 'vibrant and full of life'". ottplay. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  25. ^ "Ikkis Cast & Crew". bollywood hungama.
  26. ^ a b "Sriram Raghavan's 'Ikkis' with Agastya Nanda will be shot in North India later this year, more details revealed - Exclusive". The Times of India.
  27. ^ "Late legend Dharmendra struggled with 'Ikkis' dubbing, rewrote lines in Urdu; reveals Sriram Raghavan". The Times of India.
  28. ^ "Team Ikkis shares Dharmendra's final message: India and Pakistan must see the film". india today.
  29. ^ "Ikkis choreographer lauds Dharmendra's dedication for shooting till 4 AM, calls him 'vibrant and full of life'". ottplay. Retrieved 24 December 2025.
  30. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Agastya Nanda's most intense transformation yet: 2–3 years of Army + regiment drills, then NDA — Ikkis training details OUT!". Bollywood Hungama. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  31. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: No green screen, no junkyard tanks: Ikkis creates Centurion tanks from SCRATCH with a mammoth budget; 3 moving beasts made; Sriram Raghavn shares FASCINATING details". Bollywood Hungama. 29 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  32. ^ "Bobby Deol gives voice to the younger version of Dharmendra in Ikkis". Bollywood Hungama. 30 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  33. ^ "Ikkis (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)". Apple Music. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  34. ^ "Agastya Nandas first look from Ikkis out, film to release in December 2025". News18.
  35. ^ "Team Ikkis shares Dharmendra's final message: India and Pakistan must see the film". India Today. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  36. ^ "Kaun Banega Crorepati 17: Amitabh Bachchan grills grandson Agastya Nanda over who he likes most, 'nana or nani'". Hindustan Times.
  37. ^ "IGP, Maddock Films partner to celebrate Arun Khetarpal's legacy with themed merchandise". marketech-apac.com.
  38. ^ "Rajnath Singh attends special screening of Agastya Nanda's Ikkis". Filmfare. 23 December 2025.
  39. ^ "Photos: Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and more attend Ikkis screening ahead of its release". Filmfare. 22 December 2025.
  40. ^ "Ikkis: Sunny, Bobby Deol to host special screening of Dharmendra's last film in Mumbai". NDTV.
  41. ^ "Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis to come out in theatres on October 2". ThePrint.in. PTI. 25 May 2025. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  42. ^ "'Ikkis' postponed for THIRD time: Agastya Nanda-Dharmendra starrer shifts to January amid 'Dhurandhar' buzz; avoids Christmas clash with Kartik Aaryan-Ananya Panday's film". The Times of India. 17 December 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  43. ^ "Amitabh Bachchan hints grandson Agastya Nanda's Ikkis not postponed due to Dhurandhar but for 'jyotish vidya'". Hindustan Times. 17 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  44. ^ "'Astrology' postponed Ikkis release, Says Amitabh Bachchan amid Dhurandhar storm". NDTV. 18 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  45. ^ "Ikkis box office prediction: Agastya Nanda, Dharmendra film suffers from Dhurandhar rampage, may open at just ₹2 crore". Hindustan Times. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
  46. ^ "Ikkis OTT release: When and where to watch Agastya Nanda starrer; deets inside!". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  47. ^ "'Ikkis' OTT release: When and where to watch Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra's war biopic". Times of India. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  48. ^ Chatterjee, Saibal (1 January 2026). "Ikkis review: Solidly acted Dharmendra's swan song is not average Hindi war film". NDTV.
  49. ^ Gupta, Shubhra (1 January 2026). "Ikkis movie review: Agastya Nanda-Dharmendra film is a solid start to 2026, a war film that's deeply anti-war". The Indian Express.
  50. ^ Desai, Rahul (1 January 2026). "'Ikkis' movie review: Sriram Raghavan hits the sweet spot between love and war". The Hollywood Reporter India.
  51. ^ Sanap, Mayur (1 January 2026). "Ikkis review: The flip side to Dhurandhar". Rediff.com.
  52. ^ Suri, Rishabh (1 January 2026). "Ikkis review: Dharmendra is the beating heart of this biopic on Arun Khetarpal, which moves you more than you expect". Hindustan Times.
  53. ^ Kumar, Anuj (1 January 2026). "'Ikkis' movie review: Sriram Raghavan makes an evocative plea for peace in polarised times". The Hindu.
  54. ^ Ramnath, Nandini (1 January 2026). "'Ikkis' review: In tribute to a war hero, a rare plea for peace and empathy". Scroll.in.
  55. ^ "Ikkis movie review: Ikkis is not just a war film. It is a deeply human story". Bollywood Hungama. 1 January 2026.
  56. ^ Roy, Lachmi Deb (1 January 2026). "Ikkis movie review: Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Agastya Nanda give their honest performances on a film based on Arun Khetarpal under Sriram Raghavan's directorial". Firstpost.
  57. ^ Sharma, Devesh (1 January 2026). "Ikkis movie review: Dharmendra's swan song". Filmfare.
  58. ^ Bhatia, Uday (1 January 2026). "'Ikkis' review: A war film on a peace mission". Mint.
  59. ^ Vyavahare, Renuka (1 January 2026). "Ikkis movie review: A moving Indo-Pak war drama that puts humanity first". The Times of India.
  60. ^ "Ikkis box office prediction: Agastya Nanda, Dharmendra film suffers from Dhurandhar rampage, may open at just ₹2 crore". Hindustan Times. 31 December 2025. Retrieved 30 December 2025.
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