The first weekend of 2025's theatrical run has brought a glimmer of hope for Sriram Raghavan's war drama Ikkis. Headlined by debutant Agastya Nanda and veteran Dharmendra, the film has shown a slight but crucial improvement on its third day at the box office.
A Positive Turn on Day Three
After facing a significant drop on its second day, Ikkis managed to steady its ship on day three. According to data from industry tracker Sacnilk, the film collected an estimated Rs 4.65 crore net in India on Sunday. This marks an improvement from the Rs 3.5 crore net it earned on Saturday, which represented a steep 50% decline from its opening day.
The film's occupancy rates tell a story of growing audience interest through the day. The average occupancy for day 3 stood at 20.69%. It began slowly with morning shows at just 7.95%, picked up in the afternoon to 20.24%, and saw the highest engagement during evening (26.34%) and night shows (28.21%). The film is being screened in over 3200 shows nationwide, with the National Capital Region (NCR) leading in show count at 649.
Navigating a Competitive Landscape
Ikkis entered cinemas at a time when Aditya Dhar's blockbuster Dhurandhar continues its dominant run, breaking records. Despite this intense competition, Raghavan's directorial is putting up a fight. The gradual cooling of the 'Dhurandhar fever' might provide Ikkis the breathing room it needs to attract more viewers over its first weekend and secure additional days in theatres.
For lead actor Agastya Nanda, this release is a pivotal moment. While he previously appeared in Zoya Akhtar's The Archies on Netflix, Ikkis marks his bona fide big-screen debut, a new experience for the third-generation star from the Bachchan family. His performance is being closely watched as part of a new wave of Bollywood entrants whose success has been mixed.
The Road Ahead for the War Drama
The film, which portrays the real-life story of young war hero Arun Khetarpal, PVC, who was martyred at 21, boasts a strong supporting cast including Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, and Deepak Dobriyal. The coming days will be critical for its theatrical longevity.
To retain its current screen count beyond the first week, Ikkis needs to maintain or improve its daily collections. The modest growth on day three is an encouraging sign, suggesting positive word-of-mouth might be kicking in. The industry will be keenly observing the Monday figures, which are a true test of a film's staying power.
Director Sriram Raghavan, known for his thrillers, has taken a bold step into the war drama genre with this project. Whether Ikkis can convert its slow start into a sustained run now depends on audience reception and its ability to carve out a distinct space alongside the industry giant, Dhurandhar.
