Akshay Kumar is showering support on his niece, Simar Bhatia, as she prepares to make her Bollywood debut in the upcoming film Ikkis. The film, directed by Sriram Raghavan, also stars Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan, along with veteran actors Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat.
Kumar shared a newspaper clipping featuring Simar on social media, expressing his excitement and pride. He wrote a heartfelt message, reminiscing about his early days in the film industry and how seeing his photo in the newspaper felt like the "ultimate happiness". However, he added that witnessing his niece's photo published brought even greater joy. He captioned the post, "Bless you my baby, the sky is yours".
Ikkis is a biopic based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, a Param Vir Chakra awardee. Khetarpal was killed in action during the Battle of Basantar in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The film's tagline reads, "Woh Ikkis Ka Tha, Ikkis Ka Hi Rahega (He was 21, he will remain 21)," highlighting Khetarpal's young age at the time of his sacrifice.
Simar Bhatia is the daughter of Akshay Kumar's sister, Alka Bhatia. Alka, a film producer, was previously married to Vaibhav Kapoor, with whom she had Simar. She later married real estate tycoon Surendra Hiranandani in 2012. Simar has maintained a relatively low profile on social media, but her presence is gradually increasing as she gears up for her Bollywood debut. In Ikkis, she will be playing a pivotal role alongside Agastya Nanda.
Agastya Nanda's first look as Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal was recently revealed by the makers of the film. The posters, shared on the birth anniversary of Arun Khetarpal, showcase Agastya in army uniform, ready for battle. Ikkis marks Agastya's first big-screen release after his debut in the Netflix teen musical comedy, The Archies, in 2023.
Ikkis is directed by Sriram Raghavan, known for his thriller movies, and produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films. Raghavan shared that the story deeply moved him and that the film will contain emotional moments along with battle scenes and action, but told in a different and fresh way. The film is scheduled to be released in December 2025.
