Ikkis producer Dinesh Vijan opens up on postponing release amid Dhurandhar box office run: 'This film requires space'

Ikkis, starring Agastya Nanda, was set to release on 25 December, before it was pushed to January 1 to avoid competition at the box office.

Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis, based on the life and death of Param Vir Chakra awardee Second Lt Arun Khetarpal, was set to hit the screens this month. However, just days before its release, the film was pushed back to January. The film’s producer, Dinesh Vijan of Maddock Films, has now opened up on the postponement, which many have credited to the astonishing run of Dhurandhar at the box office.

Agastya Nanda in a still from Ikkis.

Dinesh Vijan on Ikkis release postponement

Ikkis stars Agastya Nanda in the lead role, along with Dharmendra, in what will be his final film appearance. The film’s original release date was 25 December, after Vijay Diwas. However, given that Dhurandhar is still going housefull and just registered the best second weekend for any Hindi film ever, the makers decided it was best to postpone Ikkis to January.

Dinesh Vijay says it was a conscious decision to move the release date of Ikkis by a week as he felt the much-anticipated war drama requires space to breathe in theatres. "I feel you should make a decision that is good for everyone, and that will help you as well. It's a film that requires space. We are lucky that we're getting a solo date at the beginning of the year. This happened with Chhaava and Pushpa, also, it happened with Hindi medium movies. This is kind of not to have clutter,” he told PTI.

Apart from Dhurandhar, Ikkis would have also clashed with Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday’s Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, also releasing on Christmas. On top of that, James Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash also hit the screens this week.

Talking about Ikkis’ new release date, Dinesh Vijan added, "In the new year, we're also ready to watch a good film. We get a run. So, it works overall for the business because all the films get space to breathe. It's not like there's a film there, we get a solo release. So, when God is giving, take it.”

About Ikkis

Ikkis narrates the story of Khetarpal, a second Lieutenant, who was martyred at the age of 21 during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 Indo-Pak war. It also stars Jaideep Ahlawat. The film will now release in theatres on January 1, 2026.