Ikkis Review:  A Moving Tribute to a War Hero, Where Dharmendra Shines in a Powerful Message of Peace

By Shantishwaroop Tripathi

• Rating: 2.5 Stars
• Producer: Dinesh Vijan
• Writers: Arijit Biswas, Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti
• Director: Sriram Raghavan
• Cast: Agastya Nanda, Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, Shri Bishnoi, Ekavali Khanna, Mansi Chawla, Sikandar Kher, Ayan Pushkar, Vivaan Shah, Mohan Godara, Yogesh Bhardwaj and others
• Duration: 2 hours 27 minutes

At a time when an “anti-Pakistan” sentiment is prevalent in India, filmmaker Sriram Raghavan brings Ikkis, a film that speaks of peace and stands firmly against war. The film narrates the story of 21-year-old Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was martyred during the 1971 India–Pakistan war at the Battle of Basantar and was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery.

The film is based on Arun Khetarpal’s acts of valor and the events surrounding them. Raghavan presents the story through conversations between Arun’s father, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal (Dharmendra), and his Pakistani host K.M. Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat). With Ikkis, Sriram Raghavan attempts to revive a cinematic style that has faded amid aggressive nationalism. However, the film’s slow pace tests the audience’s patience.

Story

Set in the early 1970s, the film opens with Arun Khetarpal celebrating his 21st birthday with his fellow soldiers, who smear cake on his face. Soon, news breaks that war has begun. Arun (Agastya Nanda) is training hard to become a tank commander and proves his leadership skills. Parallel to this, a romantic angle develops between Arun and Kiran (Simar Bhatia). However, Arun prioritizes duty, responsibility, and his country over love, which eventually leads Kiran to break up with him.

Arun heads for duty carrying a set of golf clubs, joking that he will “play golf in Lahore.” His senior officer Hanut (Mukul Dev) reprimands him, saying he knows nothing about war. Arun soon reaches the battlefield, and when his tank crosses the border for the first time, he remarks that Pakistan looks no different.

Thirty years after Arun’s martyrdom, in 2001, his father Brigadier Madan L. Khetarpal (Dharmendra) travels to Pakistan on a personal trip and to attend a college event to meet old friends. His guide, Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat), turns out to be one of the Pakistani soldiers who once faced Arun on the battlefield.

Review

Ikkis salutes the courage of soldiers who stake their lives at the border, but its slow narrative pace often tests the viewer’s patience. There is ample documented material available on Arun Khetarpal’s life, as well as surviving family members. Despite this, the screenplay by Sriram Raghavan, Pooja Ladha Surti, and Arijit Biswas falters at several points. Due to the weak screenplay, the film drags considerably.

The portrayal of Brigadier Khetarpal’s journey through his ancestral village Sargodha and his old home in Pakistan, along with the warmth shown by new acquaintances, feels overstretched. The filmmakers fail to convincingly portray the depth of Nisar’s remorse. One also wonders whether Pakistanis in 2001 only listened to old Hindi film songs, as depicted.

Raghavan consciously avoids loud, revenge-driven nationalist slogans common in contemporary war films. Instead, he attempts to explore what unites people who once vowed to kill each other on the battlefield. He presents Ikkis with a distinct perspective, steering clear of clichés seen in earlier war films. However, how many viewers will resonate with this approach remains uncertain.

Due to the weak screenplay, the frequent shifts into flashback lack proper cohesion. Some war sequences are well-executed, but the film does not deeply explore the father–son relationship between Arun and Madan. Perhaps this is because the filmmakers wanted to confine the narrative largely to the conversations between Madan and Nisar to emphasize peace.

The film deserves praise for paying tribute not just to one soldier, but to the entire Poona Horse regiment. It respectfully remembers heroes of both the 1965 war, including Lieutenant Colonel Ardeshir Burzorji Tarapore, and the 1971 war, including Arun Khetarpal and his comrades. Cinematographer Anil Mehta also deserves special mention.

Acting

Agastya Nanda, as Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal, fails to live up to expectations. His performance lacks the soul of a soldier—or more specifically, the spirit of Arun Khetarpal. He is particularly disappointing in scenes with Simar Bhatia. While his innocence works in a few moments, for most of the film he appears with a flat, constant smile.

Simar Bhatia, playing Kiran, appears older than her character’s age, and her chemistry with Agastya Nanda fails to click. Dharmendra, as Brigadier Madan L. Khetarpal, is deeply moving. His performance is outstanding throughout the film, especially in emotional scenes that leave the audience teary-eyed. In a slow-moving narrative, Dharmendra breathes life into the film. His dialogue, “How did he (Arun) become just a story?” is profoundly touching. It feels as though Dharmendra sensed that Ikkis might be his final film, and thus delivered one of the most memorable performances of his career. In the final scenes, he appears physically exhausted, which only adds to the emotional weight.

Jaideep Ahlawat shines as Pakistani soldier Nisar, and his chemistry with Dharmendra is exceptional. Sikandar Kher, Yogesh Bhardwaj, and other supporting actors deliver decent performances.

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