Mumbai, February 27 Filmmaker Sriram Raghavan says he was surprised by the response to his war drama "Ikkis", but now hopes that more people will watch it on streaming platforms.
Released on January 1, "Ikkis" is a biographical drama based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, starring Agastya Nanda as the war hero. The film received positive reviews praising its focus on peace, but it did not achieve significant success in theaters.
"We were actually quite surprised by the response after the film ('Ikkis') came out. I hope people will watch it on streaming platforms," Raghavan said at an event organized by the Screenwriters Association (SWA) last evening.
"Ikkis" was Raghavan's first war drama, and he is known for his thrillers, such as "Johnny Gaddar", "Ek Haseena Thi", and "Andhadhun".
The film features two timelines: one focusing on Khetarpal as a young recruit in the 1971 India-Pakistan war, and the other about his elderly father who travels to Pakistan years later to learn about his son's fate.
Raghavan's 2024 film, "Merry Christmas", starring Vijay Sethupathi and Katrina Kaif, also faced challenges despite receiving critical acclaim for its story set during one night, where two strangers meet on Christmas Eve.
Acknowledging the current challenges in the industry, Raghavan said, "I've heard that there's less work. I haven't yet started working on my next project, so I don't know how bad it is. I've had two unsuccessful films, and it's not easy."
Quoting the French filmmaker François Truffaut, Raghavan said, "A filmmaker who is not making a film, or doesn't have a subject, is the most miserable person on earth."
"Ikkis", currently available on Prime Video, features Nanda in the role of Khetarpal, who was martyred at the age of 21 during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The film also stars Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, and others.
Drawing inspiration from classic war cinema like "Ballad of a Soldier", "Flags of Our Fathers", "Cranes are Flying", and "Battle of the Bulge", Raghavan said he aimed to create a film that prioritizes human emotions.
"If I were against the ideology of 'Ikkis', I wouldn't have made it. But for me, if the story was just about the boy, it wouldn't have been enough. I wouldn't know how to develop the story, but the other story is what made it complete for me," Raghavan said when asked about his views on "Ikkis".
"So, when I first heard the story, it was the two stories in one, and that is what appealed to me. I don't know how it would have been otherwise," the director said.
The film has been lauded for a fitting farewell to the late Dharmendra, who passed away in November 2025.
Raghavan described the experience of directing Dharmendra in his final film, "Ikkis," as "very fulfilling."
"Dharam ji was one of the first people to whom I narrated the story. He loved it unconditionally," he said, adding, "How do I work with him? I go to him with the scene and tell him, 'Let's see what we can do'. He has so many ideas, and he can say so much."
Raghavan said Dharmendra helped shape his own character in the war drama.
"I remember telling him that I must have a poem in the film, and he suggested, 'aisa kuch ho sakta hai'," he said.
Raghavan, who previously worked with Dharmendra in 2007's "Johnny Gaddar," revealed that while planning "Agent Vinod" (2012), he approached the veteran actor for a role, which Dharmendra politely declined.
"After 'Johnny Gaddar', I told him I wanted to work with you again, and he said, 'Yes, of course'. When I was working on 'Agent Vinod', I remember we had written a role for the head of RAW, and his counterpart was going to be Zeenat Aman, we wanted her to be in Russia. So, it was a story about an older and a younger generation.
"But it was all in the writing stage. When I met him and told him about this role, he said, 'RAW, head, yaar, tumh log wahi, it'll be India, Pakistan, I don't want to do it'. He didn't want to get involved in that, I said, 'I respect that'. Then, we didn't pursue that track at all."
On a query about how aspiring writers can reach him, Raghavan said he is always on the "lookout for good stories."
"If ten scripts are coming to me, I can’t miss it, what if one turns out to be a Salim-Javed script?", Raghavan said, adding he keeps a keen eye on messages from writers.
