Sriram Raghavan announced 'Ikkis' with Varun Dhawan before the Covid-19 pandemic. Had Varun been part of the film, the biographical war drama would have been their second collaboration. But Varun got replaced by Agastya Nanda. The casting change happened in 2022. In an interview, Sriram has revealed the reason behind the replacement.

Sriram told PTI, “Initially, it had Varun Dhawan, and then after the pandemic, we had a chat about how he won’t suit (the part).” The 'Merry Christmas' director also added that Agastya is currently undergoing training and he will start shooting in February 2024.

For the unversed, 'Ikkis' is based on the life of the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, Arun Khetarpal. He was martyred at the age of 21. He received the honour posthumously for his valour in the Battle Of Basantar during the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

In the same interview, Sriram also assured that the film will not be a fictionlised version of Arun Khetarpal’s life. He also said that it will be neither simplistic nor overly heroic. It will tell about an interesting event that occured 30 years post he was martyred. He added, “It is a bigger production; there will be tank battles and all those things that happen in a war film. But it is also a human story; it’s a drama, a coming-of-age kind of a thing”

The film also stars Dharmendra. On his role, Raghavan said that he plays Arun’s father. “It is wonderful. We have shot a bit of the film. He is playing Arun’s father. When Arun died at the age of 21, his father was 51 years old or so, and in the year 2000, his father was in his early 80s,'' said the director.

Agastya Nanda made his acting debut with Netflix's 'The Archies'. 'Ikkis' will mark his big screen debut. It is releasing in theatres on January 10, 2025.