Ikkis

“Solidly acted and anchored by powerhouse performances, Ikkis rises above the average Hindi war film template. On the acting front, Jaideep Ahlawat dominates but both Agastya Nanda in his sophomore outing and Dharmendra in his swan song leave a deep imprint.”

“Ikkis is a war film which makes you feel in a way that movies these days are not either able to or want to. Rather than just a straight-up war film about a young man's exemplary courage, Ikkis is also an exploration of the harrowing fallout of conflict. This is as anti-Dhurandhar a film as you can hope to watch in theatres this year.”

“The screenplay meticulously complements the story with a watertight and poignant script that is actually a relaxed and compassionate look at both father and son. Dharmendra plays Brigadier Khetarpal with a natural and underplayed performance that is the high point of this moving drama, getting a fitting end to his long career.”

“IKKIS is not just a war film. It is a deeply human story.”

“'Ikkis' is a perfect film to start the year with, as Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat & Agastya Nanda give honest performances in their respective roles. 'Ikkis' isn't just a war drama; it's a human story.”

“I could watch Ikkis twice. The one thing you observe in Ikkis, decidedly a war film; makes no mistake, is the immersive, claustrophobic insides of a bloody battle-tank as the Indian Army advances across the border.”

“In Ikkis, director Sriram Raghavan gives Dharmendra exactly that kind of send-off, quiet, dignified, and devastating in its emotional aftermath. All war films, when honest, are essentially anti-war films. Ikkis is another reminder of that truth. Though it recounts one of India's most heroic wartime chapters, it is never interested in chest-thumping or spectacle for its own sake.”

“Ikkis rises above expectations as we see the templated material of a war hero biopic tell an important film of our times. Where Dhurandhar leaned into aggressive bloodlust through its acerbic storytelling, Ikkis moves in the opposite direction, asking us to see people beyond uniforms, slogans, or sides. War is hell may not be a new message, but it is one worth repeating and Raghavan states it powerfully here.”

“A moving Indo-Pak war drama that puts humanity first. Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat breathe life into Ikkis through a sublime, soulful interplay of grief.”

“Ikkis narrates the story of young soldier Arun Khetarpal's valour in the 1971 war. The film sensitively explores war's lasting personal and familial trauma beyond patriotic heroism.”

“I exited the theatre after watching Ikkis with a heavy lump in my throat. Was it the bittersweet realisation that we were witnessing the final bow of the legendary Dharmendra? Certainly. Was it the film itself? To some extent. But above all, it was the weight of the truth.”

“Sriram Raghavan's first war film hits differently. Ikkis is more than just a tale of bravery, it is about love, loss, grief, and the hope for a peaceful tomorrow.”

“Sriram Raghavan turns to the Battle of Basantar to honour a real-life martyr and take a shot at peace at a time when the world seems to be warming up to war.”

“There's a wistfulness about Ikkis, a period action drama based on the life of India's youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal.”

“Ikkis distinguishes itself from nearly every war movie made in the past few decades. Raghavan downscales as well as cools down the military conflict drama, reducing it to its basic elements of bravery and battlefield strategy. The film proves that it's possible to recast such stories and rescue them from excess.”