Ikkis Review

Only a select few Indian war movies are safe from jingoism. Think of the word "war" and a flood of Indian films flashes through your mind - all gun-blazing and tank-toting, with many of them aiming their weapons at our western neighbour, often smoking them inside out. These films are heavily fuelled by alienating the enemy nation, painting it so black with such a broad brush that the humans living there appear as non-human brutes.

Not anymore. The master of the Indian crime thriller, Sriram Raghavan, presents a film based on the 1971 war - Ikkis. The more you watch it, the more it feels like an anti-war movie. However, don't mistake it for an "Aman Ki Aasha"-style lovey-dovey tear-jerker. The movie seems unlikely to come from Raghavan, and feels as if he is either ultra-smart or obsessively self-aware.

It documents a glimpse into the life of Second Lieutenant and Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda), who was martyred at the age of 21 (hence Ikkis) in the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The story unfolds through the conversations between multiple individuals, most notably those between Arun's father Indian Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal (Dharmendra) and Pakistani Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat) during the former's visit to Pakistan 30 years after the war.

Though the movie begins with an army-all setup, a few initial sequences give you a sense of where it is headed. As you already know from the first paragraph, war is not the main subject here. The filmmakers do not try to turn war into a visual spectacle; it serves merely as a backdrop. The film focuses more on Arun's life choices, discipline and resolve.

He could have refrained from going to war. In fact, he was not initially chosen for it. Yet he persuaded his superior to let him fight and command a tank. Even on the battlefield, he could have escaped certain death. His immediate senior first warned him and then ordered him to abandon the tank, which was on fire. But Arun chose duty (to fight) over loyalty (to obey orders). The movie also gives you a peek into Arun's love-life to show his personal integrity.

Most people living far from the borders of both countries barely understand the longing felt by the many who chose the other nation for various reasons during Partition. Khetarpal is one such figure. Born and partly educated in Pakistan, he later moved to India with his parents. He returns to Pakistan to attend a school reunion and also plans to visit his native place (who wouldn't?). He stays at the home of Nisar, who becomes his constant companion.

The interaction between the two Brigadiers builds the film's tension, not the war itself. That tension deepens when the Indian Brigadier visits his native place in Pakistan. It culminates in a poignant moment when Nisar tells Khetarpal that it was he who martyred Arun. Yet there is no bitter aftertaste. It is simply how things are. People across borders are the same, but wars happen - and we begin "othering" the human beings on the other side.

Indeed, while Arun's portions, told in flashback, are about courage and sacrifice, his father's narrative, told in real time, is about reconciliation. Together, these parallel threads succeed in helping us see people beyond army uniforms and toxic nationalism. Of course, the film also succeeds in paying homage to the young warrior, who happens to be the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC).

The movie does have its downsides, both in casting and narration. This happens to be the last film of veteran actors Dharmendra and Asrani. Both are great actors, yet one wonders why Raghavan chose them, as they appear frail and seem to struggle with their performances; both passed away a few days before the film's release. Actors in better health - even if not superior performers - might have created a stronger impact.

Narratively, too, the film seems to do some injustice to its title, Ikkis, and its slogan - Ikkis ka tha, Ikkis ka rahega. It feels as though the film should be centred entirely on the PVC awardee, but instead the narrative is divided almost equally between the brigadiers and Arun.

Jaideep Ahlawat's performance as the Pakistani brigadier is the show-stealer. His character speaks straight from the horse's mouth: he was involved in the battle and is now face to face with the martyr's father. This creates a stark contrast in his portrayal across two very different situations.

Asrani's role is extremely brief - not even a minute - but he performs it to perfection despite bad health. Dharmendra looks visibly frail; given his stature and ability, he manages to carry it through, but you have certainly seen him do much better. The most striking aspect of his performance here is his shayari. For those who may not know, he took a deep interest in literature, especially Urdu shayari, in the later phase of his life.

Agastya Nanda, playing Arun Khetarpal, is impressive in his debut. He doesn't rely on action but delivers a strong performance. You see more of the man than the army officer behind the uniform, and Nanda does justice to his lineage.

Technically, the film is a fine example of a superb screenplay and memorable dialogue. The director himself is a renown screenplay- and dialogue-writer. One line goes, "Bahadur bewakoof hote hain ya bewakoof bahadur hote hain, yeh kisi ko nahin pata... yeh faisla jung karti hai." There are more where that came from. Beyond the dialogue, the screenplay and the moments that surround these exchanges are equally striking.

Visually, there is no heavy CGI or thundering background score. Instead, the film relies on grounded visuals and the sounds of real warfare. It feels more like guerrilla warfare on tanks than a silver-back gorilla thumping his chest. There are moments that suddenly jolt you visually, but gratuitous violence does not dot them.

Ikkis will be remembered as a deeply moving human story and an antidote to growing jingoism. Based on the trailers, I was expecting a Dhurandhar-like film. What I got instead was something far better - without the gore-fest of the former.