The year 2026 has kicked-off on a peak experience for the Indian Cinema as Ikkis has been critically acclaimed. Evaluating Agastya Nanda’s big screen debut and also featuring Dharmendra and
Jaideep Ahlawat, the Sriram Raghavan directorial is based on the short yet heroic life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest Param Vir Chakra recipient. But not many may be versed that Agastya Nanda wasn’t the first choice to play the army legend in Ikkis. But, it was Varun Dhawan was to portray Arun Khetarpal. The biographical war drama movie, which had been in development for a few years, was set to mark Dhawan’s reunion with Sriram Raghavan after Badlapur. However, the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays, resulting in a change in plans.
Ultimately, Agastya Nanda landed the part and made his big screen debut in the film.
In an interview Sriram Raghavan explained,
that “Varun and he had just completed their successful collaboration in Badlapur, and he was keen on the idea [of Ikkis]. By the time they finished preliminary scripting, the COVID-19 pandemic had happened, and they had to change their plans. As she developed the script, gradually realised that age is integral to the story. In certain scenes, Arun is shown as 19. The age when Jeetendra could dance around trees in his 40s is over. The script demanded a fresh face, and Agastya Nanda was 21 when he was cast.The filmmaker went on to add he required an actor who could commit 2-3 years to Ikkis because it was a story of “a boy emerging as a man.”
Back in 2022, Varun Dhawan revealed that he couldn’t star in Ikkis because he didn’t look the part anymore: “Now that things [COVID-19 pandemic] calmed down, he keeps urging Sriram and have begged him that he should make it with someone else. He might play some other part in it if has to. His
thing is, ‘how does he play a 21-year-old now. He is conscious about that and doesn’t feel convinced. Sriram and himself share an honest relationship with each other. But will still try to convince Sriram to make it because it’s a story that needs to be told.
Coincidentally, Varun Dhawan’s forthcoming release is a war movie, Border 2. Also featuring Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh and Ahan Shetty, the Anurag Singh directorial is releasing on January 23, 2026, amidst the Republic Day weekend.
News Edit KV Raman
