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Ikkis was to mark Nanda’s debut, but its extensive prep demanded time, and The Archies (2023) ended up becoming his maiden film. “I quite enjoyed watching him in The Archies, but Ikkis explores a different dimension of him. I am confident of Agastya in this film. He has been training hard for the past six months. He trained with officers in the NDA [National Defence Academy]. Training is integral to this film.” The director adds that the crucial war sequences will be shot in the upcoming leg.

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The biopic was originally announced in 2019 with Varun Dhawan, marking his reunion with the director after Badlapur (2015). What led to the change in casting? “Varun and I had a chat four years ago. We had to cast three [more] characters. The film didn’t happen then. Now, Varun is in his 30s. The film is called Ikkis, and the age is integral to the story. Casting Varun now would mean that we are desperate to put a star in the film. Then, it no longer stays the story of that innocent boy who became a man in the course of the war.”