Veteran actor Dharmendra's last film, Ikkis, has been postponed. The film, which was scheduled for a Christmas release on December 25, has now been pushed a week later and will be released on January 1, 2026.
Dharmendra's last film Ikkis postponed; here's why
The decision reportedly comes after the makers chose to avoid a box-office clash with Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday's romantic comedy Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, which releases on December 25. Apart from that, the Ranveer Singh Dhurandhar storm has also gripped the masses, and the makers wanted to avoid a clash with the film.
Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar, which hit theatres on December 5, shows no signs of slowing down at the box office and has crossed the Rs 400 crore mark within just 10 days of its release. Reportedly, the makers of Ikkis decided to push the release to avoid tough competition.
Sharing a poster of the film, the makers wrote, "This New Year, gift yourself courage. Final #Ikkis trailer drops this weekend in theatres. A new chapter unfolds in legendary director Sriram Raghavan's first war film. The true story of India's youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Second Lt. Arun Khetarpal. Some heroes die young."
The poster features Agastya dressed in military combat gear, framed within the number "1," revealing the release date.
Apart from being Dharmendra's last film, Ikkis is Agastya Nanda's first full-fledged Bollywood film to be released in theatres. Agastya made his acting debut in 2023 with Zoya Akhtar's The Archies, which premiered on Netflix.
Netizens had mixed reactions to the film's postponement.
A user wrote, " Will TMMTMTTM also be postponed like IKKIS? I think January 23 is a better release date for it. Border 2 is looking cringe & will bomb at the BO. TMMTMTTM can take advantage of that!
Many were of the view that even TMMTMTTM should get postponed. Considering Dhurandhar and Avtaar's craze is immense, and cinephiles are rushing to theatres.
Ikkis is a biopic of Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal. Khetarpal was killed in action during the Battle of Basantar in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. His biopic was first announced in 2019 on his 69th birth anniversary, with Varun Dhawan initially set to play the lead role. The film was pushed back due to the pandemic, leading to Dhawan's exit over scheduling conflicts, as per reports.
Ikkis stars Agastya Nanda in the lead, with Dharmendra portraying an older Arun Khetarpal in what marks the legendary actor's final on-screen appearance following his death on November 24 at his Mumbai residence.
The film also features Jaideep Ahlawat and Akshay Kumar's niece Simar Bhatia, who makes her acting debut in a prominent role.
