Dhurandhar storm has hit the performances of recent film releases with the Ranveer Singh-starrer drawing massive crowd to the theatres. So much so that the Christmas release Ikkis had to be shifted to New Year 2026. However, this may turn out in favour of the film, as it may get stand a better chance, courtesy its solo release.
The war film is the debut vehicle for Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda and the last film of legendary Bollywood actor Dharmendra. The film is based on the true story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra recipient, who was martyred at the age of 21 during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.
The final trailer of Ikkis is now out and the netizens have showered praises on National award winning film director Sriram Raghavan’s work. Agastya Nanada’s fresh energy and Dharmendra’s dialogue delivery is another talking point after the new trailer release. Recently Border 2 trailer released and got mixed reaction. Netizens now feel Ikkis would turn out to be better than the second installment of the popular 1997 hit.
The trailer takes us inside the war scene and some light-hearted moments that soldiers exchange as they fight the enemy. As the extraordinary scenes of bravery play out and the young Agastya gives his best shot, tension rises. However, the winning frame belongs to Dharmendra. While taking someone through his family photohe says – “Ye hai meri family. Chhota beta Mukesh 50 saal ka hai aur ye bada beta Arun, ye hamesha Ikkis ka hi rahega. (This is my family. My younger son is 50-year-old and this is my elder son, he will always remain 21).”
Watch the trailer:
An untold true story that deserves to be witnessed! 🇮🇳 #IkkisFinalTrailer out now. #Ikkis in cinemas 1st January, 2026. pic.twitter.com/7lNg2zoMjg
— Abhishek 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧 (@juniorbachchan) December 19, 2025
Ikkis also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Vivaan Shah, and Sikandar Kher among others.
21-year-old hero impresses netizens
A social media user rightly pointed out the 21-year-old protagonist’s extraordinary act of courage that gave a purpose to his short life.
“At 21, Arun Khetarpal was taking out enemy tanks in the Battle of Basantar. At 21, most of us were taking out ‘student loans’ and losing battles with our laundry!” says a user.
The 2-minute trailer has built the momentum for the film as it leaves people curious about how the final product will look like.
“This story seems true and inspiring. The trailer builds excitement to see what untold truth #Ikkis will reveal,” read another comment.
‘Isiliye wo Dharmendra the’
Dharmendra’s charisma refuses to fade till his last frame. The iconic actor dominated the trailer with his magnetic screen presence and impressive dialogue delivery.
“All looking 👍 good. But Dharam ji ka dialogue bolne ka tarika wo aaj bhi ghazab tha, Shayad isiliye wo Dharmendra the. (All looks good, but Dharam ji’s dialogue delivery remains brilliant even today. That’s why he was Dharmendra.”
“Jaideep Ahlawat itna bada actor hai wo bhi bina modulation ke dialogue bol gaya but Dharam ji ne jaise dialogue bole hai shayad aur koi ACTOR aise bol paaye, (Jaideep Ahlawat is such a big star yet he couldn’t deliver his dialogues with the same modulation as Dharam ji did, and I doubt if any actor would be able to)” the comment read further.
Better than Border 2
The teaser of second film of Border franchise released just a few days back and the response was mixed. After watching Ikkis final trailer, netizens feel the Agastya Nanda film will fare better at the box office, as it feels ‘more realistic’.
“Looking more realistic. Better than Border 2. My humble opinion,” said a social media user.