Akshay Kumar’s niece Simar Bhatia, who has made her Bollywood debut with Ikkis, penned a heartwarming note for her dearest co-star Agastya Nanda and the rest of the team recently. Along with BTS pics, Simar shared, “To my director, @sriram.raghavanofficial, it is an honour to be introduced into the world of cinema by you. Thank you for your gentleness, patience, and love for storytelling. That passion is something I carry forward. Aggy, I have grown so fond of you. You are truly incredible in this film. I can’t wait for the world to witness the greatness of 2/Lt Arun Khetrapal through you. Thank you for making this journey feel shared, never lonely. To our DOP, Anil sir, thank you for finding my best angles before I even knew they existed, and for making the camera feel like home. To the entire team of IKKIS. The ones behind the camera, the ones who shaped the world of the film, the technicians, the people who decided which silhouette I wore, which fabric I carried, and which strand of hair framed my face. Thank you for taking care of me and sharing your laughter so generously. This entire experience would not have been possible without one person. Dinu sir, I am deeply grateful to you for your trust.”

Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah’s actor son Vivaan Shah, who plays the role of Captain Vijendra Malhotra (Mallu) in Ikkis, also shared an appreciation post for Aggy. Vivaan wrote, “This is an appreciation post for my favourite co-actor and one of the kindest, most brilliant and most beautiful human beings I have ever met! You’re a blessing in all of our lives Aggi! Love you. ❤️ I was exactly Agastya’s age when I worked with his Maamu (working with @bachchan was one of the most special and sacred experiences of my entire life), and let me tell you I was not half as evolved and mature as Agastya at that age. Agastya is an inspiration to me! At 23 going on 24 (now 25) he is a fully formed individual and an extraordinarily sophisticated actor. He has such command over his craft. Just two films old he has already delivered one of the greatest performances I have ever seen! His portrayal of Arun Kheterpal is magnificent beyond words; poignant, powerful, intense, full of the vitality and confusion and also innocence of youth. Observe the way he uses his eyes, with subtle variations of mood and thought, his voice which is at once commanding and tender, I especially love it when he shouts ‘Fire!’ or ‘Let’s go boys!’ That kind of dramatic acting is a lost art. It’s operatic! Not everyone can pull it off. I remember the goosebumps I would get when his Nana would perform such scenes in his beautiful films.”

Vivaan went on to share, “Agastya can go from subtle and quiet to high drama and intensity, fury and passion, with an adeptness that is truly mindblowing! The greatest actors are like magicians who perform a magic trick with their art. I felt the same way watching Agastya perform. He has put his blood, sweat and tears, his heart and soul into the film, he’s given 3 to 4 years of his life. He’s gone through the NDA training, lived the life of a soldier, inhabited his character soooooooo magnificently!!! One of the sweetest things is I remember one day we swapped tanks, and I climbed into his for a shot, and inside I saw that he had put up a photograph of Arun Kheterpal. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. His devotion to Arun is the kind of thing that just cannot be articulated. You have to see the film to experience it. He is a blessing to Indian cinema. 🫡❤️ You’ll must be sooooooo proud Shweta, Nicky and @navyananda 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.”

Apart from being Agastya’s theatrical debut and Simar’s Bollywood debut, Ikkis marks Dharmendra’s last film. Have you watched it yet?