For Siddharth P Malhotra, the release of the courtroom drama Ikka on July 10 is not just another premiere—it is the culmination of a ten-year obsession. Designed as the very first film he ever wanted to make, the project came close to production multiple times, only to fall through at the last minute.&nbsp;The Netflix film features Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome, Akanksha Ranjan and Dia Mirza in key roles.&nbsp;&nbsp;In a chat with WION recently,&nbsp; Malhotra said, &nbsp;"Imagine the destiny of this film that I've been at it trying to get this film made. And every time, it's reached right at the end point. And for some reason or the other, it fell through. So, I've just been persistently at it."&nbsp;For Malhotra, the long wait was worth it, believing it was "God's plan" for the stars to align when they did.<h2>Two Schools of Cinema Clash: Sunny Deol vs. Tillotama Shome</h2> On paper, pairing action icon Sunny Deol with indie powerhouse Tillotama Shome as courtroom adversaries seems unthinkable. But for Malhotra, Deol was always the only choice to play the central character, Arjun Mehra.&nbsp;Malhotra recalled, "There was nobody else to play Arjun Mehra. And I'm a huge Sunny Deol fan. When we did acting classes, the first speech that we were given was the Sunny Deol speech from Damini."&nbsp;When Netflix greenlit the film, Shome became the ‘unanimous choice’ to play his legal opponent, creating an electric contrast of styles.&nbsp;The director explained, "We thought, let's get two different schools of cinema to clash together as well. And that will give us something very interesting. Because there are layers, there are silences, there are moments where Tilly just looks. And when you have brilliant actors, the scenes elevate."&nbsp;<h2>Bringing Akshaye Khanna onboard</h2> While Deol and Shome locked horns, Malhotra needed a powerful antagonist. Though he doubted whether Akshaye Khanna would agree to the role, he urged Netflix to reach out anyway.&nbsp;Malhotra shared, "We went to Akshaye, we narrated it to him. He read it in two days. He said, 'damn good script' and came onboard."&nbsp;Directing a powerhouse trio like Deol, Khanna, and Shome in a talky courtroom drama presented its own cinematic challenges. To prevent the scenes from static monotony, Malhotra and his editor, Shweta, focused heavily on pacing and movement.&nbsp;Malhotra detailed, “When you have Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, and you've cast them, then there is a certain fandom that you have to cater to. Also, because the courtroom is heavy on dialogues and monologues, I had to ensure that there was energy in the scene. Either the camera was moving or the actors were moving so that it does not look boring. It's got to move at a certain pace.”<h2>How OTT is empowering a &nbsp;‘third-generation Nepo kid’</h2> As the grandson of legendary actors Prem Nath and Bina Rai, and the grand-nephew of Raj Kapoor, Malhotra jokingly refers to himself as a "third-generation nepo kid." Yet, his filmography (We Are Family, Hichki, Maharaj) shows a director constantly pivoting across genres. He credits OTT platforms for giving creators the creative freedom to take risks that traditional theatrical releases might shy away from.&nbsp;Malhotra asserted: "A film like Maharaj would never have been released considering all the things, if Monica Shergill of Netflix, along with Aditya Chopra, had not empowered me. OTT is empowering creators."&nbsp;Also read: <a href="Ikka movie review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna's film lacks real legal spark, delivers drama instead">Ikka movie review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna's film lacks real legal spark, delivers drama instead</a><h2>The decline of Indian television: ‘A ruthless numbers game’</h2> Despite his cinematic success, Malhotra’s roots remain firmly planted in television, having produced iconic shows like Sanjivani, Dil Mil gaye and Kaafir. However, he feels modern TV has lost its golden-era charm—the era when his father, Prem Krishen, produced masterpieces like Katha Sagar.&nbsp;Malhotra laments that the medium has devolved into a repetitive loop of "formula" writing designed to torture protagonists.&nbsp;Malhotra explained, "Now, the formula that works on TV is to find reasons to make the protagonist get tortured. It is repetitive in nature. The TRP game has changed completely. When we did Sanjivani, we've seen TRPs of 27, 28. Today, a high TRP on television is when you hit a 2."&nbsp;His last TV venture, Pashmina—a 150-episode series shot entirely outdoors in Kashmir—was completed on his own terms despite budget cuts. But Malhotra admits the environment has become hostile to creative vision.&nbsp;“For creators on television, it becomes more and more challenging. Here, what happens, you work for six months on a show, and in one month or one week, you're asked to get cut, because now it's a ruthless number game. So, hats off to everyone who is surviving that game today, ” Malhotra concluded.&nbsp;

After a decade-long struggle, filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra's dream project Ikka has finally made its debut on Netflix. In a candid conversation with WION, the director of Hichki and Maharaj opens up about his persistence, clashing two completely different schools of acting and more.

For Siddharth P Malhotra, the release of the courtroom drama Ikka on July 10 is not just another premiere—it is the culmination of a ten-year obsession. Designed as the very first film he ever wanted to make, the project came close to production multiple times, only to fall through at the last minute. The Netflix film features Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Tillotama Shome, Akanksha Ranjan and Dia Mirza in key roles. In a chat with WION recently, Malhotra said, "Imagine the destiny of this film that I've been at it trying to get this film made. And every time, it's reached right at the end point. And for some reason or the other, it fell through. So, I've just been persistently at it." For Malhotra, the long wait was worth it, believing it was "God's plan" for the stars to align when they did. Two Schools of Cinema Clash: Sunny Deol vs. Tillotama Shome On paper, pairing action icon Sunny Deol with indie powerhouse Tillotama Shome as courtroom adversaries seems unthinkable. But for Malhotra, Deol was always the only choice to play the central character, Arjun Mehra. Malhotra recalled, "There was nobody else to play Arjun Mehra. And I'm a huge Sunny Deol fan. When we did acting classes, the first speech that we were given was the Sunny Deol speech from Damini." When Netflix greenlit the film, Shome became the ‘unanimous choice’ to play his legal opponent, creating an electric contrast of styles. The director explained, "We thought, let's get two different schools of cinema to clash together as well. And that will give us something very interesting. Because there are layers, there are silences, there are moments where Tilly just looks. And when you have brilliant actors, the scenes elevate." Bringing Akshaye Khanna onboard While Deol and Shome locked horns, Malhotra needed a powerful antagonist. Though he doubted whether Akshaye Khanna would agree to the role, he urged Netflix to reach out anyway. Malhotra shared, "We went to Akshaye, we narrated it to him. He read it in two days. He said, 'damn good script' and came onboard." Directing a powerhouse trio like Deol, Khanna, and Shome in a talky courtroom drama presented its own cinematic challenges. To prevent the scenes from static monotony, Malhotra and his editor, Shweta, focused heavily on pacing and movement. Malhotra detailed, “When you have Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, and you've cast them, then there is a certain fandom that you have to cater to. Also, because the courtroom is heavy on dialogues and monologues, I had to ensure that there was energy in the scene. Either the camera was moving or the actors were moving so that it does not look boring. It's got to move at a certain pace.” How OTT is empowering a ‘third-generation Nepo kid’ As the grandson of legendary actors Prem Nath and Bina Rai, and the grand-nephew of Raj Kapoor, Malhotra jokingly refers to himself as a "third-generation nepo kid." Yet, his filmography (We Are Family, Hichki, Maharaj) shows a director constantly pivoting across genres. He credits OTT platforms for giving creators the creative freedom to take risks that traditional theatrical releases might shy away from. Malhotra asserted: "A film like Maharaj would never have been released considering all the things, if Monica Shergill of Netflix, along with Aditya Chopra, had not empowered me. OTT is empowering creators." Also read: Ikka movie review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna's film lacks real legal spark, delivers drama instead The decline of Indian television: ‘A ruthless numbers game’ Despite his cinematic success, Malhotra’s roots remain firmly planted in television, having produced iconic shows like Sanjivani, Dil Mil gaye and Kaafir. However, he feels modern TV has lost its golden-era charm—the era when his father, Prem Krishen, produced masterpieces like Katha Sagar. Malhotra laments that the medium has devolved into a repetitive loop of "formula" writing designed to torture protagonists. Malhotra explained, "Now, the formula that works on TV is to find reasons to make the protagonist get tortured. It is repetitive in nature. The TRP game has changed completely. When we did Sanjivani, we've seen TRPs of 27, 28. Today, a high TRP on television is when you hit a 2." His last TV venture, Pashmina—a 150-episode series shot entirely outdoors in Kashmir—was completed on his own terms despite budget cuts. But Malhotra admits the environment has become hostile to creative vision. “For creators on television, it becomes more and more challenging. Here, what happens, you work for six months on a show, and in one month or one week, you're asked to get cut, because now it's a ruthless number game. So, hats off to everyone who is surviving that game today, ” Malhotra concluded.

After a decade-long struggle, filmmaker Siddharth P. Malhotra's dream project Ikka has finally made its debut on Netflix. In a candid conversation with WION, the director of Hichki and Maharaj opens up about his persistence, clashing two completely different schools of acting and more.

10 Years in the making: How Siddharth P Malhotra finally brought Sunny Deol and Tillotama Shome’s legal clash to life in Ikka | Exclusive

Bollywood director-producer Siddharth P Malhotra recently wrapped up the shoot of ‘Tribhanga’, a Netflix film with Kajol in the lead role.&nbsp;

In pictures posted on Instagram, the cast of the film looked gleaming with Siddharth bringing the actors together. Directed by actress Renuka Shahane, the film has a number of well-known stars leading the front in a story about women.&nbsp;

‘Tribhanga’ is the story of three women who are from different generations but belong to the same family. It’s an Indian drama about a family. It stars&nbsp;Kajol, Mithila Palkar, Tanvi Azmi &amp; Kunaal Roy Kapur.

<img alt="tribhanga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e1c13412-8aa0-4216-b14f-a225c4ec0311" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New%20%288%29_2.jpg" />

<img alt="tribhanga" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3b5ec2ac-7991-4400-92be-fbb843164256" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New%20%289%29_3.jpg" />

Siddharth P Malhotra will be making his Netflix debut as a producer with this project under the banner Alchemy Films Pvt. Ltd alongside Ajay Devgn Films and Banijay Asia.&nbsp;

The producer is famous among the industry circles for backing up different kind of cinema. His latest was ‘Hichki’ starring Rani Mukerji.&nbsp;

Bollywood director-producer Siddharth P Malhotra recently wrapped up the shoot of ‘Tribhanga’, a Netflix film with Kajol in the lead role. In pictures posted on Instagram, the cast of the film looked gleaming with Siddharth bringing the actors together.

Bollywood director-producer Siddharth P Malhotra recently wrapped up the shoot of ‘Tribhanga’, a Netflix film with Kajol in the lead role. In pictures posted on Instagram, the cast of the film looked gleaming with Siddharth bringing the actors together. Directed by actress Renuka Shahane, the film has a number of well-known stars leading the front in a story about women. ‘Tribhanga’ is the story of three women who are from different generations but belong to the same family. It’s an Indian drama about a family. It stars Kajol, Mithila Palkar, Tanvi Azmi & Kunaal Roy Kapur. Siddharth P Malhotra will be making his Netflix debut as a producer with this project under the banner Alchemy Films Pvt. Ltd alongside Ajay Devgn Films and Banijay Asia. The producer is famous among the industry circles for backing up different kind of cinema. His latest was ‘Hichki’ starring Rani Mukerji.

Producer Siddharth Malhotra wraps up shoot for film with Kajol, 'Tribhanga'

As Rani Mukerji's latest film Hichki continues to do good business, the actress states that she would not be taking another four years to sign her next film.&nbsp; 
 
The actress, while addressing media, at the film's success bash, stated that Hichki was a litmus test for her. If the film had not done well, she may not have come back to movies. ": "Yes, I told everyone that my next film will be depending on the audience response of `Hichki`. I think now, I won`t take a long gap, I will make my next comeback soon," Rani said.

"I will be doing more films because that is something I always love doing. But there was a gap for four years because of my marriage and baby. I wanted to see if the audience would be interested to see me onscreen. Now that I know, people are more than happy to see me onscreen, even I am ready. There are projects that I kept on hold before the release of `Hichki` will see the light of the day," said Rani who played the lead role of a teacher in the film. 
 
She was present along with the director Siddharth P. Malhotra and creative producer Maneesh Sharma at the media meet on Thursday to celebrate the success of "Hichki". 
 
The actress started shooting for the film when her daughter Adira was just 14 months old. Asked about how she finds the balance between motherhood and work, Rani said: "Well, she (her daughter) was of that age when babies take their first step.&nbsp;

"One day I came back from shooting and she took her first step. I do not want to miss out on any of her milestones, and taking the first step was surely one of them. I was nervous that what if I am shooting and she takes her first step?

"Now she started understanding, especially during the promotion of the film that I go to work. So when I go back home, she says, `Mumma please remove your make-up`. She does not like my makeup, just like her father. So that way, the DNA is working absolutely fine."

The actress also stated that she uses her instinct while choosing films.&nbsp;"Last 22 years, I think I have chosen scripts which have been emotionally connected to me, where I have thought that this is a story which needs to be told and secondly the character which has been offered to me, can I relate to it as Rani?"

The film released on March 23 and so far earned Rs 22.70 crore at the box office.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The actress, while addressing media, at the film's success bash, stated that Hichki was litmus test for her.

As Rani Mukerji's latest film Hichki continues to do good business, the actress states that she would not be taking another four years to sign her next film. The actress, while addressing media, at the film's success bash, stated that Hichki was a litmus test for her. If the film had not done well, she may not have come back to movies. ": "Yes, I told everyone that my next film will be depending on the audience response of `Hichki`. I think now, I won`t take a long gap, I will make my next comeback soon," Rani said. "I will be doing more films because that is something I always love doing. But there was a gap for four years because of my marriage and baby. I wanted to see if the audience would be interested to see me onscreen. Now that I know, people are more than happy to see me onscreen, even I am ready. There are projects that I kept on hold before the release of `Hichki` will see the light of the day," said Rani who played the lead role of a teacher in the film. She was present along with the director Siddharth P. Malhotra and creative producer Maneesh Sharma at the media meet on Thursday to celebrate the success of "Hichki". The actress started shooting for the film when her daughter Adira was just 14 months old. Asked about how she finds the balance between motherhood and work, Rani said: "Well, she (her daughter) was of that age when babies take their first step. "One day I came back from shooting and she took her first step. I do not want to miss out on any of her milestones, and taking the first step was surely one of them. I was nervous that what if I am shooting and she takes her first step? "Now she started understanding, especially during the promotion of the film that I go to work. So when I go back home, she says, `Mumma please remove your make-up`. She does not like my makeup, just like her father. So that way, the DNA is working absolutely fine." The actress also stated that she uses her instinct while choosing films. "Last 22 years, I think I have chosen scripts which have been emotionally connected to me, where I have thought that this is a story which needs to be told and secondly the character which has been offered to me, can I relate to it as Rani?" The film released on March 23 and so far earned Rs 22.70 crore at the box office.

Rani Mukerji: Won't take four years to sign my next film

Rani Mukerji's Hichki is doing average business at the box office. The film, helmed by Siddharth P Malhotra, earned Rs 3.30 crore on its opening day and despite its mixed reviews, the film remained steady at the box office.&nbsp; 
 
The film's earnings grew over the weekend and on Monday the film earned Rs 2 crores. Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh called the film's performance at the Box Office as 'Solid' as he shared the numbers on Twitter. Adarsh wrote, " Hichki shows SOLID HOLD on Mon… Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr, Mon 2.40 cr. Total: ₹ 17.75 cr [961 screens]. India biz”. 
 
Earlier, Taran had shared the figures of the last three days with a tweet that read, “#Hichki finds appreciation from audience and applause from critics… Goes from strength to strength with each passing day… Will have to stay stronger over weekdays now… Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr. Total: ₹ 15.35 cr [961 screens]. India biz.”&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hichki?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hichki</a> shows SOLID HOLD on Mon... Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr, Mon 2.40 cr. Total: ₹ 17.75 cr [961 screens]. India biz.
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) <a href="https://twitter.com/taran_adarsh/status/978537462472458240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The film nearly grew nearly 62% on Saturday as word of mouth publicity and Rani Mukerji's performance garnered more viewership. Mukerji who plays a teacher suffering from Tourette Syndrome has been appreciated for her performance even though most critics have stated that the film's story had flaws.&nbsp; 
 
This is Mukerji's first film post the birth of her daughter Adira. The actress was last seen in Mardani.&nbsp;

Mukerji's performance has been lauded by critics and masses alike.

Rani Mukerji's Hichki is doing average business at the box office. The film, helmed by Siddharth P Malhotra, earned Rs 3.30 crore on its opening day and despite its mixed reviews, the film remained steady at the box office. The film's earnings grew over the weekend and on Monday the film earned Rs 2 crores. Trade Analyst Taran Adarsh called the film's performance at the Box Office as 'Solid' as he shared the numbers on Twitter. Adarsh wrote, " Hichki shows SOLID HOLD on Mon… Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr, Mon 2.40 cr. Total: ₹ 17.75 cr [961 screens]. India biz”. Earlier, Taran had shared the figures of the last three days with a tweet that read, “#Hichki finds appreciation from audience and applause from critics… Goes from strength to strength with each passing day… Will have to stay stronger over weekdays now… Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr. Total: ₹ 15.35 cr [961 screens]. India biz.” #Hichki shows SOLID HOLD on Mon... Fri 3.30 cr, Sat 5.35 cr, Sun 6.70 cr, Mon 2.40 cr. Total: ₹ 17.75 cr [961 screens]. India biz. — taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) March 27, 2018 × The film nearly grew nearly 62% on Saturday as word of mouth publicity and Rani Mukerji's performance garnered more viewership. Mukerji who plays a teacher suffering from Tourette Syndrome has been appreciated for her performance even though most critics have stated that the film's story had flaws. This is Mukerji's first film post the birth of her daughter Adira. The actress was last seen in Mardani.

Rani Mukerji's 'Hichki' remains steady at the box office, earns Rs 17.75 crores in four days