‘Playing Martyr Arun Khetarpal in Ikkis Was a Massive Responsibility’

Agastya Nanda, who plays soldier Arun Khetarpal in Ikkis, speaks of the coincidence of signing the film when he was 21 — the same age as his character was when he was martyred — his experience on the sets, and the kind of impact he wishes the film to have.

QWhat was your reaction when you were first offered Ikkis?

I think the most exciting thing was that I signed the film when I was 21 years old. That was my first connect to the story. Hearing about such bravery at such a young age inspired me because I realized how little I had done with my life; and seeing the kind of courage Arun Khetarpal showed at that age encouraged me to be more brave.

QWhat did the brief life of Arun Khetarpal, teach you about mortality and immortality?

Everyone we spent time with emphasised the impact Arun Khetarpal has had on the Indian Army and the country as a whole. That understanding of what he meant to people came to me during my training time, the period before we started the shoot. It wasn’t just challenging, but a massive responsibility. I was extremely excited and eager to shoulder it.

QWhat do you feel about the whole process of making this film?

I was extremely keen to get started, but the film took time. It took three-four years to complete. It was an extremely enjoyable process, but we encountered a lot of obstacles along the way, whether logistically or creatively. We're just happy now that the film's done and we can release it soon.

QWhat was it like, working with the late Dharmendra?

It was the biggest privilege and most memorable time of my brief acting career because he’s worked with four generations of my family and that doesn’t happen often. I’m grateful it happened with me. I didn't get to share much screen space with him because the story didn’t require it, but it was such a lovely experience.

QDid Sriram Raghavan give you a lot of room to interpret the character?

Since we were portraying a real-life hero, there wasn’t much room for improvisation. We had to rely on the facts available about him and his life events. That said, there wasn’t much documentation on what he was like as a person. So maybe there we were allowed to explore a bit more.