Ahead of the theatrical release of Ikkis, a deeply emotional moment from a special screening has struck a chord online. PVR Cinemas shared a video featuring Mukesh Khetarpal, brother of Param Vir Chakra awardee Arun Khetarpal, visibly moved while watching the film that brings his late brother’s story to the big screen.

“Ikkis is 100 times of what we see in the trailer”: Arun Khetarpal’s brother gets emotional after special screening

The video captures Mukesh Khetarpal addressing director Sriram Raghavan and lead actor Agastya Nanda, expressing how overwhelming the experience was for him as a family member reliving deeply personal memories through cinema.

Speaking to Sriram Raghavan, Mukesh Khetarpal said, “My grouse is you made me cry. You made me relive certain things that were in my mind, and moment by moment, when I saw it on the screen, I got so emotional, I couldn’t stop crying. Now that I’ve seen the movie, the movie is 10 times or maybe 20 times or 100 times what we see in the trailer. Oh, fantastic.”

Mukesh Khetarpal also had heartfelt praise for Agastya Nanda, who essays the role of Arun Khetarpal in the film. Addressing the young actor, he said, “Whatever else you are, you will be Arun for life. There is no taking that away from you. Well done.”

Ikkis has already drawn attention for Agastya Nanda’s intense preparation for the role. As revealed earlier, the actor underwent rigorous physical and mental training, including regiment-style drills inspired by NDA routines, to authentically portray the bravery and discipline of a young army officer. Producer Dinesh Vijan had also explained that the film was deliberately rescheduled to give it the space and attention it deserved, emphasising the importance of telling Arun Khetarpal’s story with sincerity rather than haste.