Ikkis Trivia: From Varun Dhawan's Initial Casting To Agastya Nanda's Real Army Drills & Dharmendra's Final Role

Hyderabad: Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan's upcoming war drama Ikkis, based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Veer Chakra, is scheduled to hit the silver screens this Christmas, on December 25. The film stars Agastya Nanda in the lead role, along with Dharmendra, Simar Bhatia, Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher and Rahul Dev. As the release date draws closer, let's dive into the film's interesting trivia, including Dharmendra's final screen appearance, real military training undertaken by Agastya, and many others.

Dharmendra's Final Film Ikkis Comes With A Moving Poem

Veteran actor Dharmendra, who passed away at the age of 89 on November 24, will make his last on-screen appearance in Ikkis. Recently, the makers released a video featuring a poem voiced by the late actor. Shared by production house Maddock Films, the video shows Dharmendra's character returning to his village in Punjab. He is seen walking through familiar lanes, revisiting his old home and meeting childhood friends. The poem ends with an aching remembrance of his mother.

Sharing Dharmendra's poem, Maddock Films wrote in the caption, "Aj bhi ji karda hai, pind apne nu jaanwa... Dharam Ji was a true son of the soil, and his words carry the essence of that soil. This poem by him is a yearning, a tribute from one legend to another. Thank you for gifting us this timeless verse."

In Ikkis, Dharmendra plays Brigadier Khetrapal, father of the 21-year-old war hero Arun Khetarpal.

Agastya Nanda Underwent Real Army Drills In Pune

Agastya Nanda, who made his acting debut with the Netflix film The Archies, will play the role of Arun Khetarpal. Determined to portray the young war hero authentically, the actor trained with real army personnel in Pune.

He revealed that during his prep, an army officer sternly warned him not to take the responsibility lightly. Agastya recalled being told to "not mess it up" because Arun Khetarpal was their revered hero.

Speaking to a newswire, Agastya said, "I called mom and said this is a bit more intense than I expected, but it was a good experience. It is so selfless. It is the biggest responsibility."

Akshay Kumar's Niece Simar Bhatia Makes Her Bollywood Debut

The film also marks the Bollywood debut of Simar Bhatia, daughter of Alka Bhatia, Akshay Kumar's sister. Simar has largely stayed away from the public eye. In Ikkis, she plays the love interest of Agastya's character.

Varun Dhawan Was First Approached For The Lead Role

An interesting piece of trivia surrounding Ikkis is that Varun Dhawan was initially considered to play Arun Khetarpal. However, the pandemic caused the makers to re-evaluate the casting. Speaking to a news agency, director Sriram Raghavan later revealed, "Initially, it had Varun Dhawan, and then after the pandemic, we had a chat about how he won't suit (the part)."

More About Ikkis

Raghavan has clarified that Ikkis does not intend to fictionalise or exaggerate the legacy of Arun Khetarpal. Instead, the film focuses on the young officer's coming of age - his transition from youthful spirit to extraordinary bravery during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

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Ikkis: All About Dharmendra's Final Film, His Role, And Sholay Connection