Twinkle Khanna cheers for Akshay Kumar's niece Simar Bhatia on her debut with Ikkis

Simar Bhatia will star in Ikkis alongside Agastya Nanda. The film also stars Dharmendra and Jaideep Ahlawat.

Updated on: Jan 1, 2026, 17:02:51 IST

By Santanu Das

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Simar Bhatia is basking in the positive response to her acting debut in Ikkis. The biographical war drama was released in theatres on January 1. Simar is the daughter of Akshay Kumar's sister, Alka Bhatia. In a new post, Simar penned a heartfelt note to mark the release of her first film. Now, Akshay's wife, author Twinkle Khanna, has reacted to the post and cheered for her.

Twinkle Khanna is proud of Simar Bhatia, who made her debut with Ikkis.

Simar thanks her family

In the post, Simar shared BTS moments with the cast and crew of Ikkis. One picture showed her with director Sriram Raghavan, and in another, she was seen sitting with co-star Agastya Nanda. In the caption, she thanked her family and wrote, “To my family, thank you for your strength, unwavering support, and more love than I know what to do with. To my teachers. I will forever be a student. Curious and unafraid to make mistakes. And then, this film. An incredibly special blessing. A beginning I would not have even known how to pray for.”

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A post shared by Simar Bhatia (@simarbhatia18)

“May 2026 be the year of expression. Where we let the people in our lives know we care, that we see them, and that we love them. IKKIS releases in cinemas on 1st January 2026. Signing off with what my Nani said to me when I first told her I wanted to be an actor— Mann Neevan. Matt Ucchi,” she added.

Twinkle reacts

Twinkle Khanna liked the post and commented, “My simu is the best (red heart emoticon)”

Ahead of the release, Akshay had shared a picture of Simar in the newspaper and said, “I wish my mom was here today and she would have said ‘Simar puttar Tu tah Kamaal hai (Dear, Simmar, you have done wonders)’. Bless you my baby, the sky is yours.”

Ikkis is a war drama based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal. He was awarded Param Vir Chakra posthumously and lived an exemplary life. Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, the film released on January 1 to positive reviews. It is being made under Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films.

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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