Sriram Raghavan BREAKS silence on ‘Pakistan is not trustworthy’ disclaimer in Ikkis: “I was personally NOT happy with it” : Bollywood News

The war drama Ikkis (2026) released on the first day of the year and was loved for its performances, treatment and emotional moments. However, a section of the moviegoers was aghast as they alleged that the film has a pro-Pakistan narrative. Meanwhile, those who hailed the humanitarian approach in the film were shocked by the end disclaimer, as it stated, “The humane treatment of Pakistani Brigadier K.M. Nisar is an exceptional case. Otherwise, our neighbouring country is not at all trustworthy. Pakistani forces have treated our soldiers and civilians with extreme cruelty and inhumanity, both in war and peacetime. They have blatantly violated the Geneva Conventions by torturing them on numerous occasions. Given the terrorist activities sponsored by Pakistan, as concerned citizens, we need to remain vigilant and prepared.”

Sriram Raghavan BREAKS silence on ‘Pakistan is not trustworthy’ disclaimer in Ikkis: “I was personally NOT happy with it”In an interview with The Wire, director Sriram Raghavan was asked to comment on it. He began by saying, “A lot of people have asked me about the disclaimer. So, I have decided not to talk about it. There were some givens for me from A, B, C.”

He then said that the “best answer” for the question is that, “Like in Andhadhun (2018), many wondered ‘What happened in the end? Was he really blind or was he not?’. Likewise, in Ikkis, people can wonder, ‘Whether we put it or not?’ (smiles).”

Sent by an eagle-eyed friend, a Disclaimer of the Times at the end of Ikkis. It says, Nisar, the character played by Jaideep Ahlawat, “is an exception; Pakistanis are not to be trusted”. pic.twitter.com/RAY4aXyaX1
— Nandini Ramnath (@nandiniramnath) January 2, 2026

When prodded more about it, Sriram Raghavan remarked, “I don’t know whether people who ask me about it have seen another film of mine, Badlapur (2015). There’s a music video in the end, which completely negates what the film is doing. It screwed up the mood of the film! It was inserted at the insistence of my producer (Dinesh Vijan). This film (Ikkis) is also made by the same producer. He’s a superb guy; he let me make this film and helped me immensely. But the disclaimer was not something I was happy with personally.”

Ikkis has two parallel tracks – one set in 1971 when Arun Khetarpal (Agastya Nanda) dies while taking on the Pakistani forces head-on and single-handedly stopping their movement during the war. The other track is set in 2001 when Arun’s father, retired Brigadier Madan Lal Khetarpal (Dharmendra), travels to Lahore for a college reunion at Government College, where he once studied. Brigadier Jaan Mohammad Nisar (Jaideep Ahlawat) offers to host him. Incidentally, it was Nisar who was responsible for Arun’s death in 1971.

Also Read: 11 years of Badlapur: Sriram Raghavan on the challenges Varun Dhawan faced, “Varun had never suffered the kind of loss and hurt that the character goes through”