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Sriram Raghavan opens up on The Archies fame Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra starrer Ikkis: 'Bigger production'
Recently, well-known filmmaker Sriram Raghavan called the Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra starrer upcoming film Ikkis a Bigger production.
In Mumbai, Director Sriram Raghavan revealed that his upcoming movie Ikkis, centered on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, is a coming-of-age story presented as a grand production. Produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films, the war drama stars Agastya Nanda from The Archies and veteran actor Dharmendra. Shooting is set to commence next month.
Sriram Raghavan reveals his upcoming film Ikkis is a bigger production
During a recent interaction with PTI, renowned filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, who is currently being praised for his recent film Merry Christmas, mentioned that his upcoming movie Ikkis will not present a fictionalized account of Khetarpal's life story. He noted that it won't depict the story in a simplistic or overly heroic way like in children's comics. It won't focus on his childhood as well. Instead, it will center on the young officer who sacrificed his life shortly after turning 21. It's about the transition from youth to adulthood, and there's an intriguing event that occurs 30 years later.
He added, "It is a bigger production; there will be tank battles and all those things that happen in a war film. But it is also a human story; it's a drama, a coming-of-age kind of a thing." 
Raghavan, who collaborated with Dharmendra in the past on Johnny Gaddaar in 2007, mentioned that the veteran actor has an excellent role in Ikkis. He said, "It is wonderful. We have shot a bit of the film. He is playing Arun's father. When Arun died at the age of 21, his father was 51 years old or so, and in the year 2000, his father was in his early 80s."
Agastya Nanda, who is Amitabh Bachchan's grandson and the son of Shweta Bachchan Nanda and entrepreneur Nikhil Nanda, was considered the perfect fit to portray Khetarpal. Initially, Raghavan's film was supposed to star Varun Dhawan. He mentioned that they had finalized the movie before 'The Archies'. They were seeking a new and fresh face. Arun Khetarpal was described as a good-looking boy, around six feet tall, and Agastya possesses the height, appearance, and other qualities required for the role.
He said, "Right now, he is undergoing training. We will start with him in February. Initially, it had Varun Dhawan, and then after the pandemic, we had a chat about how he won't suit (the part)."
The movie Ikkis, produced by Dinesh Vijan and directed by Sriram Raghavan, will star Dharmendra as M.L. Khetarpal, the father of Arun Khetarpal, with Agastya Nanda playing the lead role.
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