‘After Damini, I didn’t get a chance to play a lawyer. I was very happy when Ikka was offered to me.’
Key Points
- Sunny Deol returns to the courtroom after 33 years with Ikka, marking his OTT debut.
- Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, the film brings together Sunny, Akshaye Khanna, Dia Mirza, Sanjeeda Shaikh, Tillotama Shome.
- Sunny and Akshaye reunite on screen after 29 years after Border.
When his dhai kilo ka haath is not doing the talking, the world knows Sunny Deol’s fiery words pack just as much punch.
A lot more of that signature dialoguebaazi is expected in Ikka, which marks Sunny’s streaming debut as he dons the lawyer’s robe 33 years after Damini.
Adding to the excitement, the film reunites Sunny with his Border co-star Akshaye Khanna after nearly three decades.
Though Akshaye was missing from the trailer launch event in Mumbai, Sunny’s heartfelt words about his co-star ensured the reunion was celebrated off screen.
“We did Border 29 years ago. It was the first time we were working together. He was new. We had a great equation. We met after so many years, and went back to the earlier days. I have known him for so many years,” Sunny said.
Sunny, known to be a man of few words, said the comfort and ease between them remained the same on set.
“He is more aloof than me,” he added with a smile. “But he is a gem of a guy.”
Sunny Deol As ‘Dharmendra’a Son’ in Ikka
Directed by Siddharth P Malhotra of Maharaj and Hichki fame, Ikka promises a tense lawyer-client dynamic between Sunny and Akshaye, set against a high-stakes courtroom drama. The film also stars Dia Mirza as Sunny’s wife and Tillotama Shome as the opposing lawyer.
One moment in the trailer that stands out is Sunny being introduced as ‘Dharmendra’s son’, a detail that feels especially poignant following the passing of the legendary actor last November.
When asked if the line affected him emotionally, Sunny simply said, “Main hamesha papa ka beta hoon (I will always be Papa’s son).”
Talking about playing a lawyer again after many years, Deol said he was keen on a sequel to Damini, but the project did not materialise.
“When I did Damini, Raj Santoshi had directed it. That time I was struggling, and it was a small character. I never imagined my character would become so big. After Damini, I didn’t get a chance to play a lawyer. We tried so much to bring Damini 2, but that didn’t happen. I was very happy when Ikka was offered to me.”
When Dia Mirza Slapped Akshaye Khanna
Dia Mirza, who labels her character a “thinking partner”, praised the Ikka script as “compelling and humane”. She shared a light-hearted BTS moment from the shoot, recalling a scene where she had to slap Akshaye Khanna.
Director Malhotra revealed that the confrontation scene between Dia and Akshaye was actually the first sequence she shot with him.
“I thought am I going to get into a lot of trouble for slapping Akshaye Khanna? I am very scared! His fan-following is incredible. And this scene is also added in the trailer. I am terrified,” Dia said with a laugh.
At this point, Sunny Deol stepped in with a playful reassurance, telling her, “Why are you so worried? You are playing my wife in the film.”
The comment led to an instant round of applause and cheers in the room.
Ikka Checks All Boxes For Tillotama Shome
Tillotama Shome, playing a lawyer for the first time, said she was initially apprehensive about Sunny Deol’s stardom, but that changed the moment she met him on set.
She playfully added that her husband is still in disbelief about her working with THE Sunny Deol.
“I have never done a film of this kind of grammar and pace. My husband told me, ‘If you want this marriage to last long, please stop taking yourself so seriously!’ He also told me to do some comedy roles. So I wanted to do an action-oriented, thriller, high-octane movie. I am glad Ikka is all that,” she said with a smile.
Ikka premieres on Netflix on July 10.
