Arun Khetarpal’s Brother Praises Agastya After Ikkis

Actor Agastya Nanda is ready to be seen in director Sriram Raghavan’s upcoming film Ikkis. In the movie, Agastya plays Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest soldier to receive the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military honour.

After a special screening for film industry members, Ikkis received a lot of praise. The film also deeply moved Mukesh Khetarpal, the brother of Arun Khetarpal.

In a video shared by PVR Cinemas on Instagram, Mukesh is seen watching the film in a theatre. After the screening, he spoke to director Sriram Raghavan and said the film made him very emotional. He shared that watching the scenes brought back many memories, and he could not stop crying. He added that the movie was much more powerful than what was shown in the trailer and called it “fantastic.”

Mukesh Khetarpal also praised Agastya Nanda’s performance. He told the actor, “Whatever else you are, you will be Arun for life. There is no taking that away from you. Well done!”

Several film personalities, including Anil Sharma, Mukesh Chhabra, and Ameesha Patel, also praised the film and the performances of Dharmendra and Agastya. Ikkis also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, with Dharmendra appearing in what is said to be his final film.

Agastya Nanda made his acting debut with Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies, which released on Netflix. While the film received mixed reviews, Ikkis is being seen as an important film in his career.

Ikkis is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and focuses on the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War. The film is scheduled to release in theatres on January 1, 2026.