'Ikkis' out on OTT: Where to watch Dharmendra's final film
What's the story
The biographical war drama Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra in his final role, is now available on Amazon Prime Video. The film, released in theaters on January 1, 2026, marks Nanda's much-anticipated big-screen debut, following his first acting role in Netflix's The Archies in 2023. After being a rental-only title on the platform for a few weeks, it is finally free for all Amazon Prime subscribers.
Film's structure
'Ikkis' tells the story of 2 brave brigadiers
Ikkis is a unique biopic that explores two parallel narratives. One follows the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (Nanda), a posthumous recipient of the Param Vir Chakra for his courage in the 1971 Indo-Pak War's Battle of Basantar. The other narrative takes place in 2001, where Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal (Dharmendra) visits Pakistan and meets the Pakistani officer who killed Arun, Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat).
Production details
Nanda underwent military training for the role
The making of Ikkis involved significant historical reconstruction, with the team building three Centurion tanks from scratch to ensure authenticity in battle scenes. Nanda underwent rigorous military training to portray the tank commander accurately. The film also features Rahul Dev as Lt Col Hanut Singh and Simar Bhatia as Kiran Kochhar.
Controversy
Controversy over disclaimer describing Pakistan as 'untrustworthy'
Despite its critical acclaim, Ikkis faced a minor controversy over a production-led disclaimer in the film's final titles. It read, "The humane behaviour of Pakistani Brigadier K. M. Nisaar is only an exceptional incident." "Otherwise, our neighboring country is not trustworthy at all." Later, Raghavan expressed his displeasure with this disclaimer, suggesting it was a decision made at the production level.
Box office performance
Box office collection and the technical team behind the film
Despite positive reviews, Ikkis ended its theatrical run with estimated global earnings of just ₹45.21 crore. It was produced by Maddock Films, with Anil Mehta handling cinematography and Sachin-Jigar composing the score. Vivaan Shah, Suhasini Mulay, Deepak Dobriyal, Ekavali Khanna, and Sikander Kher were also part of the ensemble.