The release of "Ikkis," starring Dharmendra and Agastya Nanda, has been postponed from its original date of December 25, 2025, and is now scheduled to hit theaters on January 1, 2026. This war drama, directed by Sriram Raghavan, tells the true story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, who was only 21 years old during the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War.
The decision to move the release date was made by the makers, Maddock Films, to avoid clashing with other major films at the box office during the Christmas week. "Ikkis" would have had to compete with both "Dhurandhar" and "Avatar: Fire and Ash," potentially limiting its visibility and access to prime shows. By shifting to January 1, 2026, "Ikkis" secures a solo release window, ensuring better screen allocation across multiplexes and single screens, and improved show timings from day one. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh praised this decision, noting that similar postponements have worked in favor of other films produced by Dinesh Vijan in the past.
Maddock Films announced the new release date on X, accompanied by a poster and the caption: "This new year, gift yourself courage". They also announced that the final trailer would be released in theaters this weekend. The film is produced by Dinesh Vijan and Binny Padda.
"Ikkis" is particularly significant as it is the final film of the late actor Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24, 2025. In the film, Dharmendra portrays Brigadier M.L. Khetarpal. The film also marks the theatrical debut of Agastya Nanda, who plays Arun Khetarpal, and the acting debut of Simar Bhatia. The cast also includes Jaideep Ahlawat, Shree Bishnoi, Ekavali Khanna, Sikandar Kher, Mohan Godara, Kunal Mann, Kuldeep Singh Thakur, Akashh Alonia, Guneet Sandhu, Yogesh Bhardwaj and Aadyanshi Kapoor. Jaideep Ahlawat plays Pakistani Army Officer, Khwaja Mohammed Naseer.
The film chronicles the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and his eventual martyrdom in the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. It also depicts Brigadier ML Khetarpal's visit to Pakistan 30 years later. During filming, Dharmendra improvised and rewrote his dialogues in Urdu for better understanding. He also recorded a message stating that both India and Pakistan must see the film.
"Ikkis" has a runtime of 2 hours and 27 minutes and received a U/A certification from the censor board on December 15, 2025. The film's music is composed by Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya. Yash Raj Films will be releasing "Ikkis" overseas.
