Karan Johar gives a glowing review to Ikkis, calls Sriram Raghavan film a ‘love letter to peace’: ‘I was so moved’

Ikkis stars Agastya Nanda as Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was martyred at the age of 21 during the Battle of Basantar.

Updated on: Jan 5, 2026, 18:03:12 IST

By Santanu Das

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Ikkis has received a thumbs up from filmmaker Karan Johar. The Sriram Raghavan film stars Agastya Nanda, late actor Dharmendra in his final screen appearance, along with Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia and Rahul Dev. It was released in theatres on January 1. Karan took to his Instagram account on Monday to review the film and said he was ‘deeply moved’ by it.

Karan Johar has given a positive review to Ikkis and praised Agastya Nanda's performance.

Karan's review of Ikkis

Karan shared the poster of Ikkis and reviewed the film in the caption. He began, “IKKIS is a love letter to peace… an honestly and earnestly told story about the absolute redundancy of war….i was so moved by so many moments of the film … it silently screams … and that’s where Sriram Raghavan gets it so right… i was moist eyed everytime Dharamji was on screen…. He has the most towering screen presence and yet can be so gentle and your heart goes out to his immensely dignified portrayal of a grieving father.”

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A post shared by Karan Johar (@karanjohar)

‘Agastya Nanda is outstanding’

He praised the cast and added, “Jaideep Ahlawat proves time and again what an outstanding force of nature he is…he is ROCK SOLID!! Agastya Nanda is OUTSTANDING as the 21 year old Arun Khetarpal… his endearing innocence , silent resolve and eventual climax break out proves his metal as an artist… was so proud and excited to see him emerge as such a sincere and solid actor… can’t wait to see his journey unfold…”

“Kudos to Dinoo and @maddockfilms for supporting this brave and new take on a war film… Please go watch this gem of a true story….#ikkis” he concluded.

About Ikkis

The biographical war drama tells the story of Arun Khetarpal’s bravery and sacrifice during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 Indo–Pakistan War. The film also stars the late actor Dharmendra in his final screen appearance, along with Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia and Rahul Dev in supporting roles. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, the film is written by Raghavan alongside Arijit Biswas and Pooja Ladha Surti. The film has crossed the ₹20 crore mark in India in 5 days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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