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Ikkis, helmed by Sriram Raghavan, was released in cinemas on January 1, 2026. The film stars Dharmendra, Agastya Nanda and Simar Bhatia in pivotal roles. Read to know how much it earned on the first day at the box office.
Sriram Raghavan's war drama Ikkis was released in theatres on New Year's Eve, and the response so far has been positive and well received by audiences. The movie, which is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, has made a good start at the box office. Let's delve in to know how much it earned on the first day.
According to a report by Sacnilk, Ikkis earned around Rs 7 crore on the first day. The film had an overall 31.94% Hindi occupancy on Thursday. The highest occupancy has been recorded in Chennai (62.75%), followed by Bengaluru (52.50%), Lucknow (46.25%), and the National Capital Region-NCR (40%).
As per WION's Shomini Sen, "Ikkis leaves with bittersweet feelings about Pakistan, war and enmity; its release is timely. It comes when Bollywood’s sense of patriotism and revenge is more jingoistic than solution-driven. It comes at a time when shouting out loud your love for the country and hatred for Pakistan is considered normal. In such an environment, Ikkis feels like soothing balm. It celebrates the Indian army and its valour, talks of an important chapter in history and yet never sounds jingoistic."
The beauty of Ikkis lies in its poignant moments. The time when ML Khetarpal visits his ancestral home and is warmly hosted by the new occupants of the house. The moments when Arun and Kiran spend together while dating. Arun’s eagerness to prove his worth and be accepted into the army. The moments that Nisar and ML spend in Pakistan – all these add up to the beautiful, insightful story that Ikkis is.
Ikkis is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and revolves around the Battle of Basantar during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. The film's title refers to the age at which Arun Khetarpal was martyred. The film is directed by Sriram Raghavan and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Binny Padda.
Apart from Dharmendra and Agastya Nanda, the film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Aadyanshi Kapoor, Simar Bhatia and Ekavali Khanna, among others.