Ikkis, the biographical war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, continued its theatrical run with modest collections on its fourth day. However, its box office performance has remained limited amid strong competition from larger commercial releases.

The film opened on 1 January 2026 with a decent ₹7 crore on Day 1, aided by the New Year holiday. Collections dropped sharply on Day 2 to ₹3.5 crore, before seeing some recovery on Saturday with ₹4.65 crore.

On Day 4, its first Sunday, Ikkis earned an estimated ₹3.97 crore, taking its four-day India net total to ₹19.12 crore, according to early trade estimates.

The film, which marks Agastya Nanda’s theatrical debut and features Dharmendra and Asrani in their final film roles, has received positive reviews for its restrained storytelling and performances.

Occupancy levels on Sunday reflected mixed audience interest. Morning shows recorded low footfalls at 9.74 per cent, while attendance improved through the day, with 28.15 per cent occupancy in the afternoon and 37.23 per cent during evening shows.

The trend suggests that while the film is finding some traction later in the day, overall footfalls remain moderate.

Ikkis is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, and is centred on the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War.

The film traces his journey to martyrdom at the age of 21 and also depicts events following Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal’s visit to Pakistan three decades later. While its subject matter has drawn critical appreciation, the coming weekdays will be crucial in determining whether the film can sustain momentum at the box office.

The film also carries strong emotional weight as it marks Dharmendra’s final screen appearance. The veteran actor reportedly faced health-related difficulties during dubbing sessions in October 2025.

To maintain continuity and authenticity, his son Bobby Deol stepped in to provide the voice-over for the younger portions of Dharmendra’s character, a contribution that is acknowledged with a special thanks in the end credits. This aspect has added a poignant layer to the film’s reception among audiences and industry observers.

Ikkis is also notable as Sriram Raghavan’s first film to make extensive use of visual effects. VFX was used heavily in post-production to enhance battle sequences and recreate the scale of the 1971 war setting. Given that the story centres on a tank battle involving Centurion tanks, which no longer exist in operational form, the makers recreated three full-scale Centurion tanks from scratch to stage the combat scenes convincingly.

Lead actor Agastya Nanda, who portrays Arun Khetarpal, underwent an intensive physical and military training programme lasting two to three years to prepare for the role. His preparation included training with the Indian Army and the Poona Horse regiment, followed by time at the National Defence Academy in Khadakwasla, Pune.

He also travelled to Aurangabad for specialised tank training to familiarise himself with armoured warfare. The filmmakers have cited this rigorous preparation as central to achieving realism in the film’s war sequences.

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