Mumbai: Agastya Nanda, who made his Bollywood debut with Zoya Akhtar’s ‘The Archies’, has bagged a big project with acclaimed director Sriram Raghavan. The young actor will be seen playing the role of an army officer in Raghavan’s upcoming film ‘Ikkis’, which is a biopic based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetrapal, a war hero who was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously for his valor in the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. Veteran actor Dharmendra will also play a pivotal role in the film.
Arun Khetarpal was an officer of the 17 Poona Horse regiment, who fought bravely in the Battle of Basantar at Shakargarh, where he destroyed several enemy tanks before sacrificing his life. He was only 21 years old when he attained martyrdom. Raghavan, who is known for his thrillers like ‘Andhadhun’ and ‘Badlapur’, wanted to cast a fresh face for this challenging role. He was impressed by Agastya’s performance in ‘The Archies’, where he shared screen space with Shahrukh Khan’s daughter Suhana Khan and late actress Sridevi’s daughter Khushi Kapoor, who also marked their debut with the film.
‘Ikkis’ is produced by Dinesh Vijan under his banner Maddock Films. The film is expected to go on floors in January 2024 and will be shot mostly in North India. The film will also feature extensive visual effects to recreate the war scenes. Agastya Nanda is excited to work with Sriram Raghavan and Dharmendra in this ambitious project. He hopes to do justice to the role of Arun Khetarpal and pay tribute to his courage and sacrifice.
