Bollywood’s latest war drama, Ikkis, isn’t just another patriotic film wrapped in camouflage and slogans—it’s a pulse of emotion, courage, and identity. Directed by the ever-intriguing Sriram Raghavan and produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, Ikkis marks a stunning tonal shift for a filmmaker best known for taut thrillers like Andhadhun and Badlapur. This time, Raghavan trades dimly lit crime scenes for the smoke and soil of the battlefield telling a story that’s both epic in scale and intimate at its core.
At the centre of Ikkis stands Agastya Nanda, stepping into the boots of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal the youngest soldier ever to receive India’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra. The title, Ikkis (meaning “twenty-one”), is not just his age,it’s a haunting reminder that some lives, though brief, burn brighter than most. The trailer opens with a young cadet brimming with hope, ambition, and unshakable belief in service. What begins as a story of youthful promise quickly transforms into a portrait of extraordinary bravery. Each frame carries the restless energy of a man whose time is short but whose purpose is monumental. Sriram Raghavan’s entry into the war genre feels both unexpected and refreshing. Where his thrillers were built on deception and moral ambiguity, Ikkis finds its strength in conviction and clarity. Yet, his signature cinematic control remains—the sharp edits, the silent pauses before chaos, the lingering emotion behind every stare.
Raghavan doesn’t glorify war; he humanises it. The focus isn’t on strategy or politics, but on the young lives caught in the fire of history. The director’s lens seems to whisper that courage isn’t about surviving—it’s about standing your ground when the world tells you to retreat.For Agastya Nanda, Ikkis is not just a second film—it’s a transformation. The boy from The Archies has grown into a soldier whose vulnerability and resolve light up the screen. His expressions carry both the innocence of a cadet and the grit of a man facing death with a smile.
Supporting him is an ensemble cast that grounds the story in emotional realism. Dharmendra, as Arun’s father, adds generational weight and quiet dignity. Suhasini Mulay’s portrayal of the mother—a woman torn between pride and fear—anchors the film’s emotional gravity. And Simar Bhatia, Akshay Kumar’s niece making her debut, lends a soft, romantic pulse to the story, balancing the film’s grit with tenderness.The trailer hints at moments of warmth among soldiers shared laughter, teasing, and the brotherhood that makes loss even more devastating.
Visually, Ikkis promises to be a feast. The colour palette leans towards burnt golds and dusty browns—evoking the scorched landscapes of 1971. The camera doesn’t flinch from showing the cost of war: the roar of tanks, the sting of gunfire, the loneliness between orders. But beneath all the noise, Raghavan keeps returning to faces the trembling lip before battle, the tear that refuses to fall.The music, subtle yet stirring, builds an emotional bridge between duty and destiny. It never shouts patriotism; it lets the audience feel it in silence.
At a time when patriotic films often rely on chest-thumping spectacle, Ikkis feels personal. It’s about a boy who became a legend not because he wanted glory, but because he refused to step back. It’s about a filmmaker reminding us that stories of war are also stories of love, of family, of comrades, of country. Agastya’s Arun Khetarpal doesn’t die in the film; he becomes eternal. And Raghavan ensures that his sacrifice doesn’t feel distant it feels like something you carry with you when you leave the theatre.
With Ikkis, Sriram Raghavan may have crafted one of his most emotional films yet a tribute not only to a fallen hero but to the spirit of being twenty-one, when dreams are fierce and fear is small. If the trailer is any indication, this December’s release will not just move audiences it will make them proud.
“He was twenty-one. He will always be twenty-one.”
Some ages never grow old.
Check out the trailer :