Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar's Success Added Pressure On Ikka? Director Says Actor 'Knew This Was A One-Off'

When Akshaye Khanna’s Dhurandhar was released, and his stardom found a new buoy, he was shooting for Siddharth P Malhotra’s Ikka, co-starring Sunny Deol. In a new chat, the director was asked if Akshaye’s success had any impact on his role in Ikka. Siddharth also spoke about what it is like to work with Akshaye and called him one of the easiest actors to get along with.

Siddharth told SCREEN, “Dhurandhar was being shot when we were preparing. It was on the verge of releasing when we started shooting, and it released while we were still filming. So I think all of that happened simultaneously.”

He mentioned, “Akshaye is the kind of person who doesn’t take success to his head or failure to his heart. Just because he doesn’t give interviews or talk

much doesn’t mean otherwise. He’s a very grounded person. I know him as a friend now, and he’s very clear about what he wants.”

The filmmaker said, “He’s actually one of the easiest actors for a director or filmmaker to work with because what he tells you is exactly what he means. There’s no complication in his life. He also knew that this was a one-off. He said, ‘I’ve done my job as an actor. This fandom has come in a certain way, and this too shall pass.'”

Siddharth added, “Akshaye isn’t deluded by success. He told me, ‘Don’t take the pressure. You just make your film. Make sure it’s a good one.’ So I didn’t take any pressure because of that. Also, Aditya (Dhar, Dhurandhar director) is a dear friend.”

“I’ve known Aditya since the time he came in as a writer. He was at Dharma trying to get a film made. I have a bias towards him because I genuinely think he’s a lovely guy. So whatever Aditya does, I simply want his film to do well, beyond anything else,” he concluded.

Ikka will be available for streaming on Netflix from July 10. The trailer of Ikka promises an intense courtroom thriller where justice, morality and personal history collide. Marking Sunny Deol’s OTT debut, the Netflix film sees him locking horns with Akshaye Khanna in what looks like a gripping legal battle. Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, the film also stars Dia Mirza and Tillotama Shome.