Tillotama Shome says she failed to recognise Akshaye Khanna on Ikka set because he was smiling: ‘I walked past him’

During the trailer launch of Ikka, Tillotama shared her amusing encounter with Akshaye, who she initially didn’t recognise.

After the success of Dhurandhar, fans will now see Akshaye Khanna in Siddharth P Malhotra's Ikka. The film also stars Sunny Deol and Tillotama Shome in lead roles. During the trailer launch event on Monday, Tillotama revealed how she couldn't recognise Akshaye on the film set and walked past him before he called her back.

Tillotama Shome recalls not recognising Akshaye Khanna on Ikka set.

Why Tillotama Shome failed to recognise Akshaye Khanna

Sharing the anecdote during the trailer launch event of Ikka, Tillotama said that once, when she was heading back home after pack-up, a man came towards her smiling, but she failed to recognise him. She said, "I never saw Akshaye Khanna smile, but one day I was leaving after packing up, and this man was coming towards me smiling, so I just smiled and walked off, and then he said, 'Tillotama' and I turned back, and it was Akshaye Khanna, but I couldn’t recognise him because he was smiling, so that’s why. He was so very lovely, you know."

Tillotama also got emotional during her speech on stage and further expressed that she is very happy to have worked with Sunny Deol and further described him as a kind person. The trailer launch event was attended by Sunny, Dia Mirza, Tillotama and Siddharth P Malhotra. However, Akshaye gave it a miss.

About Ikka

Directed and produced by Siddharth P. Malhotra, who made the acclaimed film Maharaj, Ikka sees Sunny Deol lawyering up again. The trailer showed Sunny gearing up to fight a crucial case in court, very much reminiscent of his now-iconic role in Damini. The actor revealed at the trailer launch that he wanted to make Damini 2 but that film didn't materialise and he eventually ended up doing Ikka.

At the heart of Ikka is a celebrated lawyer played by Sunny, who finds himself forced to defend a man from his past, portrayed by Akshaye. The unexpected reunion reopens old wounds and pushes him into a case that challenges everything he stands for.

As the legal battle unfolds, the lawyer is forced to navigate difficult choices while trying to protect his family and uphold his principles. The case soon becomes far more than a courtroom contest, turning into a deeply personal conflict with life-altering consequences. The story revolves around themes of justice, accountability and the price of standing by one's convictions.

It is written by Althea Kaushal and Mayank Tewari. Apart from Sunny and Akshaye, Ikka also stars Dia Mirza, Tillotama Shome, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Shishir Sharma, and Akansha Ranjan. Tillotama plays a determined public prosecutor committed to ensuring justice is served, while Dia essays the role of a wife and mother struggling to keep her family together as uncertainty grows around them. The film is scheduled to release on Netflix on July 10.