Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis, starring The Archies actor Agastya Nanda and veteran star Dharmendra, now has a release date. The war drama, based on the life of Param Vir Chakra recipient Arun Khetarpal, will release in theatres on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, the makers announced on Sunday.
The film's production house, Maddock Films, took to social media to share an announcement video for the release date. "Dinesh Vijan & Maddock Films Present #Ikkis- A True Story of a Brave Soldier and Son, Arun Khetarpal, India's Youngest Param Vir Chakra Hero. Releasing in cinemas worldwide on 2nd Oct 2025," they captioned the post.
Ikkis also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Sikander Kher, and marks the debut of Akshay Kumar's niece Simar Bhatia.
The film is based on the life and valour of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was martyred at the age of 21 during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. For his courage and sacrifice, he was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, making him the youngest recipient of India's highest military honour at the time.
Ikkis was first announced in 2019 on the 69th birth anniversary of Arun Khetrpal, with Varun Dhawan attached to play the lead role. The film got pushed due to the coronavirus pandemic, leading to Varun’s exit over scheduling conflict.
Ikkis marks the second big project for Agastya, son of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and Nikhil Nanda. The young actor made his acting debut with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies in 2023. For Sriram, it is going to be a first shift in genre, from his usual crime-thriller space to a military drama.