Director Sriram Raghavan’s biographical war drama stands as an aberration amid jingoistic times, yet it’s undermined by a poor choice of protagonist and an average screenplay. The late, great Dharmendra, however, remains the heart and soul of the film.
Rating: 
( 2 / 5)
By Mayur Lookhar
It’s his 21st birthday, face covered in cake, colleagues rejoicing, when a senior officer interrupts the celebration. Most might cry “party pooper,” but 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal smiles and says, “Sir, ladai hone wali hai.” (Sir, war is coming.)
Oh, what are such men made of? Ordinary citizens like us cannot even comprehend it. The late Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat’s words linger like a quiet melody: “A soldier is born to die.”
Story
Ikkis tells the story of Param Vir Chakra awardee 2nd Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda), and his valour during the India-Pakistan War of 1971, which led to the liberation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. This biographical war drama unfolds through conversations between Khetarpal’s father, Brigadier M. L. Khetarpal, (Dharmendra), and his Pakistani host, K. M. Naser (Jaideep Ahlawat).
Screenplay and Direction
Sriram Raghavan, a man who has so far made a career in neo-noir, decides to helm a biographical war drama. Was this a long-cherished dream or an opportunity that he couldn’t miss?
Although inspired by the valour of Arun Khetarpal, director Sriram Raghavan and co-writers Arijit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti steer clear of any one-man army narrative. Instead, Ikkis humbly pays respects to the decorated Poona Horse – (formerly known as The Poona Horse (Taraporewala). The legendary Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore and his colleagues from the 1965 War are fondly remembered, as are Khetarpal and his colleagues from the 1971 War.
The pleasant surprise lies in how this biographical war drama subtly carries an anti-war undertone. which feels like an aberration in jingoistic times.
In February 2025, Maddock Films gave us Sky Force. While both films tell tales of different martyrs from different eras and wars, Ikkis carries a sense of déjà vu. Of course, their respective histories wouldn’t change under different producers, but certain similarities are hard to miss.
Ikkis was pushed from Christmas to New Year’s Day, as Sriram Raghavan felt that a film like Ikkis needed space; otherwise, it would have been lost in the Dhurandhar storm, charred in Avatar’s Fire and Ash, and a competing Dharma release, Tu Mera Main Teri Main Tera Tu Meri. More than a Sky Force hangover or box office prospects, Ikkis needed space purely for a nation that witnessed high tension and patriotism following Operation Sindoor. Honestly, this nationalistic sentiment wave has been stronger since 2014. Will Ikkis find wider acceptance in the prevailing social, political environment?
Hey, hang on! Ikkis talks about the past (1971) and is set in 2001. Why judge it through current socio-political sentiments? Some voices don’t correlate the enemy army of 1971 with today’s rogue Pakistani Army, ISI. India-Pak relations were stable post-1971, but can the genocide by the Pak Army in East Pakistan-sparking that war-ever be forgiven?
It’s become fashionable for the current establishment to keep harping on the follies of previous governments, but Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal visited Sargodha in Pakistan in 2001 – two years after the Kargil War – and not under a secular government. So, can the hyper-nationalistic populace condemn Sriram Raghavan’s film as a feeble ‘Aman Ki Asha’ narrative? In fact, the film is honest in saying these decades of conflict will continue. The unspoken message is simple: please no warmongering.
Ikkis is largely pragmatic and classy – though that doesn’t mean the ‘desh bhakt’ is denied their share of bravado. The final battle is well-choreographed, elevated by intense BGM. In essence, Ikkis has something for the objective audience and something for the chest-thumping patriot.
What the film lacks, though, is a taut screenplay, a strong protagonist, a feeling likely to be shared across the spectrum of the audience.
Performances
Sky Force and now Ikkis – Maddock Films have misfired in their choice of a young protagonist. Veer Pahariya was grossly undercooked, and Agastya Nanda disappoints. Nanda captures Arun Kheterpal only in body, not in spirit. More than his illustrious maternal grandparents, young Nanda’s flat performance is reminiscent of the struggles of his maternal uncle.
Akshay Kumar’s niece, Simar Bhatia, has a fine screen presence, but her character Kiran (Khetarpal’s girlfriend) seems drawn more from formulaic compulsion.
Maybe Raghavan was mindful of Nanda’s limitations, and hence the screenplay largely hinges on veteran Dharmendra and actor par excellence Jaideep Ahlawat. Dharmendra is the heart and soul of this rather dull film, infusing it with life and almost living the character of M. L. Khetarpal. When Kheterpal senior says, “how that brave heart (Arun) has become a story,” the line gains an unintended poignancy, because with Dharmendra’s passing so close to Ikkis’ release, the legend himself seems to become the film’s most enduring story. Across its 147 minutes, you never want Dharmendra to leave the screen. It is commendable that the octogenarian took on Ikkis, though by the end of the film, the veteran does appear visibly exhausted.
Jaideep Ahlawat is no stranger to playing a Pakistani. He previously portrayed ISI agent Adil Khan in Bard of Blood – a brief but purely evil character. Ikkis honours Khwaja Mohammad Naser for acknowledging the valour of Arun Khetarpal. Ahlawat comes across as humble and likeable in his conversations with Dharmendra, but he does not quite convince as Major Naser on the battlefield.
Sikandar Kher and Rahul Dev impress in their supporting roles as Risaldar Sagat Singh and Lt. Col. Hanut Singh.
Music / Technical Aspects
Heavy on drama, Sriram Raghavan perhaps felt compelled to include a couple of tracks, but none leave an impression. Sachin-Jigar’s music shines through effective BGM, complemented by Anil Mehta’s fine cinematography and visual storytelling. The war sequences, choreographed finely by Russian stunt coordinator Alexander Drozhzhin, are immersive.
Final Verdict
It’s frustrating to see another biopic not doing justice to the martyr. A release on New Year’s Day raises concerns over occupancy, but for a martyr who gave his life to the nation at just 21, surely, we can honour him by watching his story on 1 January. Sriram Raghavan’s film may not be worthy of five stars, but Ikkis toppon ki salaami is in order for Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal.
Watch the video review below.
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