Sriram Raghavan's Ikkis tells the story of India's youngest Param Vir Chakra awardee, Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, who was just 21 at the time of the 1971 Indo-Pakistani war.
Agastya Nanda plays Second Lieutenant Khetarpal with Jaideep Ahlawat and debutante Simar Bhatia in prominent roles.
To celebrate Second Lieutenant Khetarpal's bravery, the makers organised a tribute event for the courageous hero, attended by Indian Army officers and the film's lead cast.
In the presence of Lieutenant General D S Kushwah, General Officer Commanding Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa Area, right, Ikkis Producer Dinesh Vijan and Agastya pose against a portrait of Second Lieutenant Khetarpal.
"The main thing that stood out for me about this story is about how young Arun Khetarpal is. I would like to address the young kids sitting over there who've come from school. I hope that when you watch this film, you'll be able to learn something from Arun Khetarpal. He was a very brave, passionate soldier," Agastya said at the event.
"I think that if we take anything away from this film, it's that you're never too young to change the world. So, this is mainly for the younger people out here and my immense pride and gratitude to every soldier, every person a part of the Indian Army," he added.
"It was very difficult being inside a tank," Agastya adds in this video.
"This journey was very emotional," Simar says, and explains why in this video.
"Whenever you climb into a tank, woh aapka khoon maangta hai," Jaideep says.
"Aisa kabhi nahin hua ki tank par chadne-uttarne mein aapka haath-pair na cheela ho! It always happened!"
Jaideep adds to his Ikkis experience here:
The event concluded with the unveiling of a huge army tank, in remembrance of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal's contribution in the 1971 War.
Ikkis, which marks Dharmendra's final appearance on the big screen, will release on December 25.
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