Director Sriram Raghavan successfully charts into a new territory with Ikkis. The film is successful in not just honoring the bravery of Arjun Khetarpal (a Param Vir Chakra hero): but it also explores the aftermath and the human cost of war. Above all though Ikkis is a perfect swan song for the late Dharmendra. The veteran actor brings in an emotional resonance especially in his monologue about the endless cycle of violence. His scenes with the ever-reliable Jaideep Ahlawat gives Ikkis its best moments
Starcast: Agastya Nanda, Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vivan Shah, Sikander Kher, Rahul Dev and others
Genre: Drama
Director and writer: Sriram Raghavan
Additional writers: Arjit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti
Producer: Dinesh Vijayan
Production Company: Maddock
Cinematography: Anil Mehta
Music: Sachin Jigar
Running time: 2 hours and 24 minutes
In today’s age of hyper nationalism, the term patriotism is often confused with demeaning our neighbor Pakistan or presenting Muslims in a certain way. Aditya Dhar’s films starting with Uri to Dhurandhar are a perfect example of making movies to please a certain political party. Nuanced depiction of war is hard to fine but Sriram Raghavan achieves a unique feat with his latest Ikkis. The broad story has the familiar tropes of sacrifice and a young man fighting against all odds in the direst of circumstances.
However, within this familiar palate Sriram Raghavan brings in something new. The newness comes from the characterization of Jaideep Ahlawat’s Brigadier Nissar. Nissar is a far cry from the stereotypical Pakistani commanders. There’s a humanness to him and this comes out wonderfully on numerous occasions. The storyline of Ikkis juggles with three different timelines. One timeline is about Agastya Nanda’s Arjun Khetarpal fighting in the war, two the romantic track and lastly the scenes between Brigadier Nissar and late Dharmendra’s M. L Khetarpal. Brigadier Nissar hosts M.L Khetarpal taking him to different places in Pakistan. There is a specific reason for Nissar doing it and this is something to be explored on screen rather than me saying.
The strongest aspect of Ikkis is undoubtedly the scenes between Dharmendra and Jaideep. The movie’s core themes is explored through them. Both these men have fought numerous wars for their respective nations, so they perfectly understand the emotional baggage that comes with it. The scars of a war are always there and this has been wonderfully explored in their conversations. The approach is refreshingly restrained without making it us versus them. M.L Khetarpal like the many partition refugees has his origins in Pakistan but eventually settles in India.
A major reason for Khetarpal’s Pakistan visit is seeing his ancestral home apart from a reunion party with former army mates. For a man who has seen a lot of emotional turmoil he has an upbeat nature brilliantly portrayed by Dharmendra. A special mention must be made of how Khetarpal reacts to Nissar’s confession. There is a remarkable restraint followed by an important monologue on the futility of war and the cycle of violence with its tragic aftermath. The beautiful bond shared between these characters in a short span of time is a delight to watch. In more ways than one Ikkis feels like a Sriram Raghavan’s version of Bajarangi Bhaijaan. Ikkis has a much-needed message of humanity, and this is very important especially in today’s politically divisive environment.
Apart from the late Dharmendra Jaideep Ahlawat is another strong pillar for Ikkis. The fantastic actor never overplays the guilt of Nissar. There is a grace to his overall demeanor and Jaideep nails the different shades especially when he has an important breakdown. Jaideep is truly one of the best actors that we have today, someone who is extremely versatile.
Agastya Nanda as Arjun Khetarpal turns out to be a good choice for the titular protagonist. The rough edges are still there in the scenes of drama nevertheless the young actor makes a good impression: its a performance which is far ahead of the OTT debut Archies. He brings in the right amount of enthusiasm and the required daredevil nature. The romantic scenes though act as a major speed breaker. They have been loosely written, and it doesn’t help that Simar Bhatia is rather flat with her expressions. The songs too by Sachin Jigar belong to a different movie and not this.
In the supporting cast Vivan Shah, Sikander Kher and Rahul are competent especially Vivan playing Arjun Khetarpal’s captain. Agastya and Vivan share a good camaraderie especially in the scene where Vivan advises Arjun on how firing alone doesn’t make someone a man.
Vivan Shah from Ikkis
In the technical department Anil Mehta’s work deserves a special mention. How he has captured the nature of war tanks with a gritty texture is praiseworthy. The action sequences have a different feel to them as you don’t have the usual template of action seen in war dramas.
Final word: Ikkis is a much-needed tale of patriotism without demeaning Pakistan. The thread of emotional baggage across borders makes Ikkis a poignant war drama.
