Ikkis early review: Dharmendra's last film breaks heart, ‘You will be missed’

Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan's upcoming film, Ikkis, is off to a positive start. The film, starring Dharmendra and Agastya Nanda, will make its debut in theatres on the New Year. Ahead of its release, an early review of the film is out.

Recently, a special screening of Ikkis was held in Mumbai ahead of the release. It was attended by several celebrities.

Ikkis review

Soon after watching the film, casting director Mukesh Chhabra shared his thoughts on Ikkis. Calling the film personal, Chhabra remembered Dharmendra.

He took to X, formerly Twitter and wrote, “Just watched Ikkis — a film made purely from the heart. Gentle, honest storytelling that stays with you long after it ends.”

Praising the late veteran's performance, he added, “Dharmendra sir… what grace, what depth. If this is your last film, it truly breaks the heart. You’ve left us with something deeply emotional and important. You will be missed, sir.”

For the unversed, Ikkis marks Dharmendra's final on-screen presence. It was his last project before his death. Reportedly, he was unwell during the dubbing sessions of the film.

The film also stars Amitabh Bachchan's grandson, Agastya Nanda, who is the son of Sweta Bachchan and Nikhil Nanda. It also marks Simar Bhatia's Bollywood debut.

Ikkis also has Jaideep Ahlawat in a key role.

Agastya Nanda in Ikkis

Talking about the rest of the cast, Chhabra added, “And Jaideep Ahlawat — hats off. I genuinely didn’t expect this, and I’m glad to be surprised. A warm welcome to Agastya Nanda and Simar Bhatia — both were beautiful on screen. Endearing eyes, lovely chemistry. Agastya’s innocence and sincerity truly shine. Special mention to Vivan Shah and Sikandar Kher — outstanding work. And above all — Sriram Raghavan. The man. The master. Once again, sir… once again. A heartfelt film, told with honesty. Cinema that feels personal. @MaddockFilms @JaideepAhlawat.”

About Ikkis

Ikkis is a war biopic based on the life of soldier Arun Khetrapal who joined the force at just 21 and wrote history during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. He became the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra.

Talking about Agastya Nanda who essays the role of Khetrapal, the director explained how the new actor fits the bill. In a media interaction, as quoted by PTI, Sriram Raghavan said, "I was very clear I wanted a new boy, somebody who's got absolute age on his face. So Dinu called me to his office and said, there's somebody, just meet him. I went there, met him, and a couple of minutes later, this is Agastya Nanda.

"I had not seen too many pictures of him, and even 'Archies' had not come out. But somehow, I liked him. We were just talking to see whether we were able to have a conversation somewhere. He reminded me of Amitabh Bachchan and ‘Saath Hindustani’, which I have seen," Raghavan added.