Sriram Raghavan’s upcoming directional Ikkis is special – it will be Dharmendra’s last movie on the big screen and also mark Agastya Nanda’s theatrical debut. However, before Agastya, the film was supposed to star Varun Dhawan. In a recent chat with The Hindu, director Sriram Raghavan revealed why he had to replace Varun, and it was due to age-related reasons.
Sriram said, “Varun and I had just completed our successful collaboration in Badlapur, and he was keen on the idea. By the time we finished our preliminary scripting, the COVID-19 pandemic had happened, and we had to change our plans. As I developed the script, I gradually realised that age is integral to the story. In certain scenes, Arun is shown as 19. The age when Jeetendra could dance
around trees in his 40s is over. The script demanded a fresh face, and Agastya was 21 when he was cast.”
He added, “We needed an actor who was willing to commit two to three years to the project. Simply put, it’s the story of a boy becoming a man. Young age apart, what Arun did heroically, for which he received the Param Veer Chakra, is something that happened in the last two hours of his life. Till those last two hours, he didn’t know he was a hero. I wanted Agastya to bring that urge to serve and the innocence about the outcome. I guess Agastya’s eyes reflect it.”
About Ikkis
Helmed by the National Award-winning filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, Ikkis shares the inspiring story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal – India’s youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. Khetarpal took on the enemy head-on during the Battle of Basantar, destroying 10 Pakistani tanks before losing his life.
Accompanying Agastya Nanda, the project will also see Simar Bhatia, Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Sikandar Kher, and Deepak Dobriyal in significant roles, along with others. The film is all set to release on January 1, 2026.
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