Arun Khetarpal’s brother breaks down after watching Ikkis, also praises Agastya, “You will be Arun for life”

ikkis

• Mukesh Khetarpal was deeply moved by Ikkis, reliving his brother Arun's legacy
• Agastya Nanda praised for his portrayal of war hero Arun Khetarpal
• Ikkis releases in theatres on January 1, 2026

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Mukesh Khetarpal, brother of Indian Army hero Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, was visibly emotional and couldn’t stop crying after watching Sriram Raghavan’s upcoming biographical war drama Ikkis during a special screening ahead of its theatrical release. The film, which chronicles the bravery and sacrifice of the youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee from the 1971 India-Pakistan War, deeply resonated with Mukesh as he relived his brother’s life on the big screen.

After the screening hosted by the filmmakers in Mumbai, Mukesh shared his heartfelt reaction, telling director Sriram Raghavan that the film made him cry by bringing back memories he had stored in his mind for years. PVR Pictures shared a video of Mukesh Khetarpal watching Ikkis in a theatre. In the video, he said, "My grouse is you made me cry. You made me relive... Certain things were in my mind, and moment by moment, when I saw it on screen, I got so emotional I couldn't stop crying. Now that I have seen the movie, I mean, the movie is 10 times or maybe 20 times or 100 times what we see in the trailer. Oh, fantastic!"

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Mukesh also appreciated Agastya Nanda’s performance as his late brother. Addressing the young actor, Mukesh told him, “Whatever else you are, you will be Arun for life. There is no taking that away from you. Well done!” — a strong endorsement that has been widely shared by media and fans.

Also read: Sunny and Bobby Deol to host special screening of Dharmendra’s last film Ikkis in Mumbai

The special screening also drew praise from members of the film fraternity. Filmmaker Anil Sharma, casting director Mukesh Chhabra and actors such as Ameesha Patel and Fatima Sana Shaikh shared their admiration for the project, highlighting its emotional depth and respectful portrayal of Arun’s legacy.

Ikkis stars Agastya Nanda as Arun Khetarpal, alongside Dharmendra (in his final film role), Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, and others. The film is set to release in theatres on January 1, 2026, and anticipates both critical acclaim and emotional audience reactions as it brings a heroic real-life story to the big screen.