Jun 25, 2026 9:00pm IST
Siddharth P. Malhotra: ‘There was even a female version written for ‘Ikka’’
A courtroom thriller for Netflix, starring Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna, is top of the mind for filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra. As he prepares for the release on July 10, he tells Variety India that it almost never got made! The story first took form almost a decade ago and since then, it’s been in development limbo. It now sees the light of day with Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna in the lead roles, reuniting them 29 years after “Border” (1997).
Malhotra, who began his creative journey in his father, Prem Krishen Malhotra’s television production company Cinevista, is known for films like “We Are Family” (2010), “Hichki” (2018) and “Maharaj” (2024). Next up is a biopic on Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari, which is in pre-production.
Excerpts…
Is ‘Ikka’ fictional?
Althea Kaushal wrote the story and the film was originally to be made by Excel Entertainment. It travelled to many filmmaking companies and it came to me about eight or nine years ago. I have wanted to tell this story since then!
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Why was it turned down by so many filmmakers?
Everyone loved the story and wanted to make it, but something or the other came in their way! Sometimes, the actors did not accept the roles or could not give the dates or someone demanded a more saleable cast and so on. But even when Althea had lost hope of this story ever coming out, I never did.
So you decided to take it up after ‘Maharaj’?
God really rewarded me in the best way! Who would have thought that I would get Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna at this opportune time, with Netflix backing us. I got a great supporting cast headed by Tilottama Shome and Dia Mirza, and it also became the first film I’ve directed for my own company, Alchemy Films. So, it is special for me in many, many ways.
With ‘Ikka’, you’ve reunited Sunny and Akshaye for the first time after ‘Border.’
Sunny and Akshaye were my first choices for this role. I have been a huge fan of Sunny Deol for as long as I can remember. The only constant was that I wanted to tell this story, whether for a theatrical or an OTT release.
How much was the script tweaked to suit the two stars’ images?
The story remained untouched, but we changed the tonality to fit in with expectations from their fans. So the ‘dialogue-baazi’ is different from the standard Sunny pattern too and there is just a light ‘filmi’ touch. Yes, I had to ensure gratification for his fans, but the ‘sur’ (pitch) could not be allowed to deviate so much that “Ikka” does not remain a Siddharth P. Malhotra film!
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You mentioned many drafts.
Yes, we wrote various versions to assess the impact we wanted to make. Again, the story was kept constant, but the dynamics were different. As the saying goes, “Saam daam dand bhed (Appeasement, offers, coercion and cunning) — I wanted to try out everything since I had an appetite for this story. There was even a female version written!
You have worked with Kajol, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Rani Mukerji. How different or similar was working with two heroes here?
Each of them has their own mindsets and ways of working. In this case, Akshaye comes with his lines absolutely pat in the Devnagari script, internalizes, discusses with me and only then goes for it. Sunny will first make the lines his own. Without feeling them, he will not emote, as he is an emotional person and actor. But his 40-plus years of experience makes him do all that on the spot!
What does your father think about your films?
He did not know what “Ikka” was about at all. He asked for the script: I said “Nahin (no)”. He wanted to watch the rough cuts. I refused again. He was very irritated when I told him that I will only show him the complete film, which I did, coincidentally, on Father’s Day! He had also invited his close friends, and he was in tears and told me that he was very, very proud of me. I hope the audience feels that way about my film, too.
You are in prep for ‘Kamal And Meena.’ How did the film happen?
Saregama Films and the Amrohi family came to me just before “Maharaj” released. They were keen that I make this film. My writers, Bhavani Iyer and Kausar Munir, went through endless material, including with Tajdar Amrohi and his sister Rukhsar, letters, poems and more, and recorded conversations with them. And now the two of them have come up with simply the most fantastic script I have ever read.
What’s the criteria you will follow for casting Meena Kumari and Kamal Amrohi?
The same as in all my films. I have been with this project for two years already. First and foremost, it will be ‘Are those I have cast, right for the roles and will they deliver?’ But alongside, I have to think of the commerce: Will they sell?
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