What is the story about?
Dharmendra’s final film, Ikkis, is now scheduled to release in theatres on January 1, 2026. Co-starring Agastya Nanda and Simar Bhatia, it is based on Second
Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal PVC, who immortalised at 21. The final trailer of the Sriram Raghavan war drama was launched today (December 19). It has prominent scenes featuring Dharmendra, who played the on-screen father of Arun Khetarpal. Ikkis was scheduled to release in theatres on December 25, but the makers chose to begin the new year with the riveting war drama. It is Agastya’s first big-screen film. Simar makes her acting debut as Arun’s girlfriend, Kiran.
Sunny Deol gives shoutout to father Dharmendra's last film's trailer
Sharing the final trailer of Ikkis on Instagram, Dharmendra’s elder son, Sunny Deol, gave a shoutout to his father’s last film. The actor, who has his war movie, Border 2, releasing in the same month, wrote, “Love you papa. Witness the true story of the youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, a hero who was only 21 and became eternal - Second Lt. Arun Khetarpal. #Ikkis In cinemas on 1st Jan 2026.”
The final trailer showcases battlefield sequences. The highlight of the trailer is Dharmendra, who looks back at a family picture and says he will "always be 21."
About Ikkis
Prior to its release, the team of Ikkis attended a special event with the Indian Army. In the presence of Lt. Gen. D.S. Kushwah and other Indian Army officers, Agastya got emotional as he recalled his journey in the film. He said, "Main thing that stood out to me about this story is about how young Arun Khetarpal is. I would like to address the young kids sitting over there who've come from school. I hope that when you watch this film, you'll be able to learn something from Arun Khetarpal. He was a very brave, passionate soldier."
He added, "I think that if we take anything away from this film, it's that you're never too young to change the world. So, this is mainly for the younger people out here and my immense pride and gratitude to every soldier, every person a part of the Indian Army."
Ikkis follows the journey of Arun Khetarpal from his commissioning into the 17 Poona Horse regiment after graduating from the Indian Military Academy to his heroic actions during the Battle of Basantar in December 1971. Directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Maddock Films, Ikkis also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Deepak Dobriyal and others in pivotal roles.
