The Indian film industry has told the courageous stories of the Indian Army many times, and the result has given the audience some iconic films such as Border, Lakshya, and Shershaah. This time the story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal will be told on the big screen through the film Ikkis, starring Agastya Nanda as the brave young martyr. This is Agastya's second film after Netflix's The Archies. Directed by Sriram Raghavan, it co-stars veteran actor Dharmendra.“On the birth anniversary of Arun Khetarpal, Ikkis, a story that will forever stay in our hearts, is wrapped. Dinesh Vijan and Maddock Films present #Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, a true untold story of the youngest officer recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. In cinemas December 2025!” shared the makers. Who was India's youngest PVC recipient Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal? Born in Pune, Arun descended from a long line of soldiers. His great-grandfather served in the Sikh Khalsa Army, his grandfather fought in World War 1, while his father, Lt Col (later Brigadier) ML Khetarpal, was an officer in the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers. Arun was a high-calibre student in school, both by academic and extracurricular standards. He joined the NDA and soon led his squadron to the championship. After graduating from IMA, he was commissioned to the 17 Poona Horse battalion. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Maddock Films (@maddockfilms) ALSO READ: Yograj Singh tearfully begs forgiveness of son Yuvraj Singh and ex-wife Shabnam, after admitting he kept her under lock and key Arun and his battalion would soon be called upon for the 1971 war against Pakistan. One of the main objectives of his squad was to establish a bridgehead over the Basantar River, a task that was accomplished, but they couldn’t push through because of the minefield. Due to the other troops requiring immediate backup, the regiment decided to push through with their tanks and meet up with the rest of the troops. After defending his troops successfully, Arun decided to lead his tank straight into the Pakistani attack. Pinned down by enemy firing, Arun and two remaining tanks shot down 10 enemy tanks before Arun was shot and killed in action. His bravery and sacrifice was honoured and he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra posthumously, which is the highest award in gallantry. He was 21 when he gave his life for the country, making him the youngest recipient of this award. The film is being backed by Maddock Films, and this will be Nanda’s first theatrical release. His first film was the Zoya Akhtar directorial Archies, which was released exclusively on Netflix. Apart from having some sort of experience in front of the camera, Nanda also has the business seeped right into his blood, as he is the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. According to IMDb, the rest of the cast includes Dharmendra, Sikandar Kher, Jaideep Ahlawat, Shree Bishnoi, Ekavali Khanna, and Mohan Godara.
