Ikkis box office holds steady despite competition, nears ₹20 crore mark

The Hindi war drama Ikkis has maintained steady momentum at the box office, closing its opening weekend with collections close to ₹20 crore, even as it faced intense competition from bigger domestic and international releases.

Ikkis, the biographical war film marking the theatrical debut of actor Agastya Nanda, has delivered a stable opening weekend performance despite fluctuations in daily collections and a crowded box office landscape. According to industry estimates, the film’s total India net collection stood at approximately ₹19.83 crore by the end of its fourth day in theatres.

The film opened strongly on New Year’s Day, earning around ₹7 crore on its first day. However, collections dropped sharply on the second day, with earnings falling to about ₹3.5 crore, reflecting a nearly 50 per cent decline. Such drops are not uncommon for films releasing during holiday periods, when initial footfalls are often driven by advance bookings and festive attendance.

Collections recovered modestly over the weekend. On Saturday, the film registered a rise of more than 30 per cent, collecting roughly ₹4.65 crore. Sunday figures remained stable at about ₹4.68 crore, indicating that the film was able to retain audience interest through positive word of mouth. Overall Hindi occupancy on Sunday was reported at just over 25 per cent, suggesting moderate but consistent footfall across shows.

In gross terms, the film’s India collections are estimated at around ₹18 crore, with overseas markets contributing approximately ₹1.75 crore. This takes the worldwide total to close to ₹19.75 crore by the end of the first weekend, according to trade trackers.

Industry analysts noted that while Ikkis did not show explosive growth, its performance was relatively resilient given the competition it faced. The film has been screening alongside the high-performing spy action film Dhurandhar, which continued to dominate the box office with double-digit daily collections and a cumulative total running into several hundred crores. In addition, the Hollywood release Avatar: Fire and Ash has remained strong in its third week, drawing audiences away from smaller releases.

Despite these challenges, Ikkis has benefited from largely positive audience and critical feedback. Viewers and reviewers have praised the film’s restrained storytelling, emotional depth and focus on character rather than spectacle. Agastya Nanda’s portrayal of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal has been widely described as mature and sincere, particularly notable given that the role depicts a real-life war hero who was martyred at the age of 21.

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan publicly praised his grandson’s performance after attending a screening of the film. Writing on his personal blog, he said he was unable to take his eyes off Agastya whenever he appeared on screen and described the performance as honest and devoid of unnecessary embellishment. He added that the portrayal captured the courage and dignity of the young soldier without excess.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, Ikkis recounts the bravery and sacrifice of Arun Khetarpal during the Battle of Basantar in the 1971 India–Pakistan war. Khetarpal was posthumously awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India’s highest military honour, becoming its youngest recipient. The film aims to balance its depiction of battlefield action with a reflective, human portrayal of loss and duty.

The cast includes the late Dharmendra in his final screen appearance, alongside Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia and Rahul Dev in supporting roles. Dharmendra’s presence has been highlighted by audiences as a significant emotional element, adding to the film’s appeal among older viewers and fans of classic Hindi cinema.

Trade observers also noted that Ikkis ranks among the higher-grossing theatrical releases led by a debutant in recent years. Although Agastya Nanda previously appeared in a streaming release, this marks his first major cinema outing, and the opening figures have been seen as encouraging given the film’s serious subject matter and lack of conventional commercial elements.

Context

The box office performance of Ikkis highlights the challenges faced by mid-budget, content-driven films in a market increasingly dominated by large-scale franchise releases and spectacle-driven cinema. While the film has not matched the numbers of its bigger rivals, its steady weekend hold suggests that audiences are still willing to support emotionally grounded stories based on real events. Its longer-term performance is expected to depend on weekday stability and continued word of mouth, particularly in urban centres and multiplexes.