Ikkis Movie Review: A Moving Tribute Where Humanity Triumphs Over War

New Delhi, january 01, 2026: Released on the first day of 2026, Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis is not your typical high-octane, chest-thumping war movie. While it recreates the brutal tank battles of the 1971 Indo-Pak war with meticulous detail, its soul lies in a quiet, devastating exploration of grief and the shared humanity of those on opposite sides of the border.

A Tale of Two Timelines

The film skillfully navigates two eras. In 1971, we follow the 21-year-old Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda) during the Battle of Basantar. He is a young man full of life, famously quipping about “playing golf in Lahore” before reality hits. The second timeline, set in 2001, follows his father, Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal (played by the late legend Dharmendra), as he travels to Pakistan for a college reunion.

The heart of the movie is the meeting between the elder Khetarpal and a retired Pakistani officer, Brigadier Khwaja Mohammed Naser (Jaideep Ahlawat). Naser carries a heavy secret: he is the man who engaged in the final duel that took Arun’s life.

Performances That Linger

• Dharmendra: In his final cinematic outing, the veteran actor delivers a masterclass in restrained emotion. His performance is the “beating heart” of the film—a father who has lived long enough to carry a three-decade-old loss.
• Agastya Nanda: Following his debut in The Archies, Nanda steps into a far more demanding role. He captures the “boyish, brooding presence” of a young martyr with earnestness, particularly shining in the intense climax.
• Jaideep Ahlawat: Ahlawat is predictably stellar, portraying a soldier who respects his adversary and lives with the moral weight of war.

Direction and Style

Director Sriram Raghavan, known for neo-noir thrillers like Andhadhun, shifts gears beautifully here. He avoids the “stark black and white” tropes often seen in patriotic cinema. Instead, he focuses on the technical realism of tank warfare and the “moral consequences” of conflict.

Quick Movie Facts

Ikkis doesn’t leave you feeling proud or vengeful; it leaves you “hollowed out” with a sense of quiet grief. It is a powerful reminder that behind every uniform is a human being, and every war hero is a son who never came home.