24 December 2025 Punjab Khabarnama Bureau : The upcoming war biopic ‘Ikkis’ has taken on an added emotional weight following the death of veteran actor Dharmendra, whose posthumous screen appearance coincides with a deeply personal moment for the film’s cast and creators.Dharmendra passed away on November 24 in Mumbai, weeks before the completion and appreciation of his work on the film. Directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Dinesh Vijan, ‘Ikkis’ stars Agastya Nanda as Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of India’s Param Vir Chakra, and is set for release on January 1, 2026.
Raghavan said Dharmendra, who had been unwell during the final dubbing sessions in October, never got the chance to see the film in full. “I met him in October. That time he was okay, but he was not too well. He did watch the first half and waited for the second half. I wanted him to see the film in its entirety. Somehow, that couldn’t happen,” the director said. “He is not here to enjoy the work he had done, and people appreciate that. That is a regret we have.”
Recalling Dharmendra’s preparation, Raghavan said the actor would write his dialogues in Urdu ahead of the shoot and even penned lines for the principal actor. “He’s old school. He was extremely well-prepared,” he added.
Producer Vijan said Dharmendra’s family has yet to watch ‘Ikkis’. “I think they’ll only cry. I just wish our kids could love us as much as they love him. It was heartbreaking to see them. But it was also beautiful,” he said.
The film has also marked a milestone for the Bachchan family. Amitabh Bachchan attended a recent screening and later wrote an emotional blog post praising his grandson Agastya Nanda’s performance. Recounting memories from Agastya’s birth to seeing him on the big screen, Bachchan described watching the film with “eyes filled with tears of joy and pride”
“When he is in the frame you only watch him,” Bachchan wrote, adding that this was not a grandfather speaking but “a hardened viewer of cinema”. He praised the film’s writing and direction, and said the experience left him silent with emotion.
Amitabh Bachchan attended the screening with his son Abhishek Bachchan, while Agastya’s sister Navya Naveli Nanda was also present.
Alongside Nanda and the late Dharmendra, ‘Ikkis’ features Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher and Rahul Dev. As it heads towards its New Year 2026 release, the film stands both as a tribute to a decorated war hero and as an emotional farewell to one of Hindi cinema’s most enduring icons.
Summary:
Sriram Raghavan’s upcoming film ‘Ikkis’ brings together an emotional blend of legacy and pride, marked by Dharmendra’s final on-screen appearance. The film highlights a touching generational bond, framing a grandfather’s pride alongside the veteran actor’s swansong. Ikkis is being seen as a heartfelt tribute, celebrating courage, memory, and the enduring impact of family and storytelling in Indian cinema.