Agastya Nanda’s debut film Ikkis, directed by Sriram Raghavan, opened to strong buzz and emotional audience interest. However, the movie witnessed a noticeable dip by its second day despite crossing a key revenue milestone.
Agastya Nanda’s war drama Ikkis has crossed the ₹10 crore total box office collection mark by its second day of release. The film, which also marks the final screen appearance of veteran legend Dharmendra, generated huge curiosity before release. Yet, after a solid opening, its momentum slowed on Friday.
The Sriram Raghavan directorial debuted on January 1 to favourable reviews from critics and a sizable first-day audience. Ikkis made almost ₹7 crore on its first day of business, according to estimates from trade tracker Sacnilk.
On day 2, it collected an estimated ₹3.5 crore, with Friday being a regular weekday following the New Year holiday.
Despite the decline, Ikkis' domestic collection crossed ₹10 crore mark.
The total occupancy results showed a very modest attendance, with Ikkis reporting an overall occupancy rate of 14.72% on day 2. Morning shows opened to a dull 5.75%, which significantly doubled to 14.73% during the afternoon shows.
Growth, however, reached a standstill after that, with 18.06% occupancy for evening events and 20.33% for night shows. With 652 screenings and an average occupancy of 17%, the movie became the most popular on the Delhi-NCR circuit. Mumbai came next with 424 shows and a 14.25% occupancy rate. Compared to Dhurandhar's 3800, the movie has around 2400 shows.
The story, based on the real-life exploits of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal—India's youngest Param Vir Chakra recipient during the 1971 Indo-Pak War—resonated with viewers and attracted crowds, partly fuelled by the emotional impact of Dharmendra's final performance.
This patriotic and historical relevance continues to drive conversations around the film.
The film’s performance has comparatively surpassed some other recent releases, such as the romantic comedy Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri, which Ikkis has outpaced in early box office figures.
Ikkis has done significantly better than 120 Bahadur, the latest Hindi war movie. The Farhan Akhtar film barely made ₹6.1 crore in its first two days of release, which is less than Ikkis' opening day alone.
Although Ikkis was able to capitalise on strong word-of-mouth and the emotional appeal of Dharmendra's final appearance, industry watchers have pointed out that it will still struggle to sustain pace against behemoth blockbusters.
Now, halfway into its theatrical run, Ranveer Singh's Dhurandhar continues to dominate screens and box office charts, maintaining strong receipts even in its fourth week.
This competition may limit screen count expansion for Ikkis in the coming days.
Ikkis has delivered a respectable start, powered by nostalgia, patriotic storytelling, and Agastya Nanda’s fresh presence. However, with collections dipping on Day 2, the film will now rely heavily on weekend growth and audience retention to maintain its pace.