Why Ikkis Is More Than a War Film: The True Story of Second Lt. Arun Khetarpal, Who Became Immortal at 21.

When Courage Was Just 21: Movie Ikkis and the Boy Who Became Immortal

Some stories don’t announce themselves with noise. They arrive quietly, sit beside you, and by the time the final frame fades, they’ve wrapped themselves around your heart.

Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis is one such film.

Set against the thunderous backdrop of the 1971 Indo–Pak war, Ikkis doesn’t chase spectacle for the sake of it. Instead, it gently peels back the uniform to reveal the boy beneath—the son, the dreamer, the soldier who was only 21 years old when courage asked everything of him.

This is the story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee. But more than that, it is a story of legacy—of how bravery outlives the body, and how love survives even the loudest wars.

A War Film That Breathes Like a Memory

From its opening moments, Ikkis chooses patience over pomp. The film allows silence to speak, glances to linger, and emotions to settle before marching forward.

The nation is at war, yes—but the film is deeply invested in the people living through it.

The narrative unfolds in layers.

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

One layer places us in the middle of battle, alongside young Arun—played with striking sincerity by Agastya Nanda—as tanks roar and history tightens its grip. Another layer jumps three decades ahead, where an ageing father, portrayed by Dharmendra, carries the weight of pride and loss in equal measure. Between these timelines lie fragments of youth—training days, quiet romance, laughter, ambition, and the thrill of wearing the uniform for the first time.

It’s a structure that mirrors memory itself—imperfect, emotional, and deeply human.

Emotion Over Explosion, Soul Over Spectacle

Action in Ikkis is used with purpose. Every gunshot, every explosion serves the story—not the other way around. The sound design pulls you into the battlefield without overwhelming the emotion, while the background score and retro melodies feel like echoes from another time.

The dialogues avoid chest-thumping rhetoric. They are simple, honest, and quietly powerful—words spoken by people who know the cost of war.

This is not a film that glorifies conflict. It honours it. And more importantly, it mourns it.

Performances That Stay Long After the Credits Roll

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

Dharmendra, in what feels like a farewell gift to cinema, is nothing short of unforgettable. He doesn’t perform grief—he inhabits it. His eyes tell stories that dialogues don’t need to explain. In moments where he clutches a photograph, recites a Punjabi poem, or simply embraces another soldier, the theatre falls silent. These are the scenes that stay with you on the drive home.

Agastya Nanda, stepping into the shoes of a national hero for his debut, shows remarkable restraint and intensity. There’s a quiet fire in his performance—a boyish excitement when he first meets his tank, and steely resolve when duty calls. He doesn’t play Arun as a myth, but as a living, breathing young man who chose courage even when fear stood right in front of him.

Jaideep Ahlawat anchors the film with warmth and authority, while Simar Bhatia adds grace and emotional balance, even when the romantic arc could have been more deeply etched.

A Different Kind of Sriram Raghavan Film

Known for thrillers sharp as blades, Sriram Raghavan reveals a softer, more contemplative side here. Ikkis is reflective, elegant, and emotionally rich. His portrayal of war feels almost poetic—reminiscent of old Commando comics, yet grounded in reality.

Image Courtesy : Maddock Films

The film may slow down in parts, especially in the second half, but that’s also where it deepens. It dares to sit with emotion, to let pain breathe, and to remind us that real heroism is often quiet.

Why Ikkis Matters

At its heart, Ikkis asks a simple but profound question: What does it mean to be brave?

As Uri actor Vicky Kaushal aptly reflects, bravery isn’t measured by age. Legends don’t wait to grow old. Sometimes, they rise at 21—and become eternal.

Poster Courtesy : Maddock Films

By the time the final scene unfolds, tears come not because the film demands them, but because it earns them.

Final Verdict

Ikkis is not loud. It is not flashy. And that is precisely why it works.

It is a war film with a soul, a tribute wrapped in tenderness, and a reminder that courage, once given, never truly dies.
This New Year, don’t just watch a film. Witness a legacy.

Highly Recommended.

Released On : 1st January 2026

Rating :   4/5