Dharmendra's last film Ikkis postponed amid Dhurandhar fever, avoids clash with Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri

As Aditya Dhar's Dhurandhar continues to create havoc at the box office, Sriram Raghavan's directorial, Ikkis, has been postponed.

The spy action thriller Dhurandhar has been creating havoc at the box office. The Ranveer Singh-starrer recently recorded the biggest second weekend for a Hindi film. Amid this, Sriram Raghavan’s Ikkis, which is also Dharmendra’s last film, has been postponed to January.

Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra's stills from Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis.

Ikkis to now release on this date

On Wednesday, the makers of Ikkis, Maddock Films, shared a poster announcing the film’s new release date. The film, which was earlier slated for release on December 25, has now been pushed to January 1, 2026. Along with the poster, the makers wrote, “This New Year, gift yourself courage. The final Ikkis trailer drops this weekend in theatres. A new chapter unfolds in legendary director Sriram Raghavan’s first war film — the true story of India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Second Lt Arun Khetarpal. Some heroes die young.” With this move, the film also avoids a box-office clash with Karan Johar’s Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday-starrer Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh praised the makers’ decision to postpone the film and wrote on X, “The postponement of Hindi Medium and Chhaava worked to their advantage, with both eventually enjoying a clear run. Dinesh Vijan has done it for the third time… Ikkis, originally slated for release on 25 December 2025, will now arrive a week later, on 1 January 2026. Dhurandhar is creating havoc at the box office and shows no signs of slowing down. Plus, Avatar — the Hollywood giant — will have an extensive release in India this Friday (19 December 2025).”

He added, “Neither film is likely to surrender screens or prime shows during the Christmas week. The decision to shift the release of Ikkis makes perfect business sense. Besides being a solo release on 1 January 2026, Ikkis is assured its share of shows at prime properties.”

About Ikkis

Helmed by Sriram Raghavan, the biographical war drama is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and centres on the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India–Pakistan War. The film marks Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda’s theatrical debut and also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia and Dharmendra, in his posthumous screen appearance.