Ikka (2026)
Ikka Review: Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna Reunite for a Courtroom Drama That Swings for Melodrama
Ikka arrives with genuine promise. It reunites Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna on screen for the first time since Border nearly three decades ago, marks Deol’s streaming debut, and places him back in a courtroom more than thirty years after his iconic turn as a lawyer in Damini. Directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra and written by Althea Kaushal and Mayank Tewari, the film sets up a compelling moral trap: a celebrated, incorruptible defence lawyer is forced to defend a man he despises, to save his own daughter’s life. It’s a premise rich with ethical complexity. According to critics, however, the execution leans far too heavily on old-school melodrama and star worship to deliver on that promise.
The numbers reflect a film that has divided critics and audiences. On IMDb, Ikka holds a 5.5/10 rating, while Plex shows a 5.7/10 audience score. Times of India gave it 2.5/5, writing that it “unfolds like a quintessential ’90s courtroom potboiler, often at odds with Netflix’s contemporary sensibilities and reality,” and noting that “the film takes this ‘unbeatable hero’ premise far too seriously. The narrative seems engineered solely to reinforce Arjun’s invincibility.”
The Indian Express‘s Shubhra Gupta was harsher, awarding 2 out of 5 stars and writing that “the trouble with the film, which besets it every time we see sequences which belong more to the old-style mainstream movies of yore, is that it cannot check its bent towards melodrama. There are teary mothers galore… And then, of course, there’s Akshaye Khanna, basking in his successful post-Dhurandhar phase, dropping his perennial sneer for a few moments to deliver some straight lines. His is possibly the most intriguing part.”
The Hindu was more measured, observing that “Director Siddharth P Malhotra takes a while to set up his pieces, but once writers Althea Kaushal and Mayank Tiwari begin dropping the twists, the narrative momentum pulls you in. The verbal volleys in the make-believe court provide a guilty pleasure.” The review highlighted Tillotama Shome as “an efficient disruptor in the man’s world” and noted that “post Dhurandhar, Akshaye’s facial contortions and twitchy mannerisms haven’t lost their menacing intensity.” A Scottish solicitor’s analysis for the Law Society of Scotland was particularly damning, calling it “an action film in which the principal weapon happens to be the law” and noting that “the film is more interested in celebrating its leading actor than depicting legal practice.” For fans of the two stars, there are moments to savour; for those seeking a genuinely gripping legal thriller, Ikka falls short of the verdict.
Ikka Cast: Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna Lead a Talented Ensemble
The film brings together two of Hindi cinema’s most compelling performers alongside a strong supporting cast:
Sunny Deol leads the film as Arjun Mehra, known throughout the legal community as “Ikka” for his unmatched courtroom record. It’s a role that allows him to revisit the lawyer persona he made famous in Damini, and critics acknowledged his earnestness and integrity make Arjun easy to root for. The Hindu noted that “for a change, the courtroom drama forces a usually combative Sunny into a tight moral corner, with possibilities of exploring internal panic, doubt, and helplessness.” However, several reviewers felt his performance lacked the nuance required for a role of this complexity.
Akshaye Khanna delivers what many consider the film’s most intriguing performance as Shauryaman Gaur, the entitled, wealthy playboy accused of murder. The Indian Express wrote that “his is possibly the most intriguing part: he never dials back from his position, insisting that he may be terrible, but is not a killer. And uses that dialogue to sow the right degree of doubt in our minds.” The Hindu observed that “post Dhurandhar, Akshaye’s facial contortions and twitchy mannerisms haven’t lost their menacing intensity. With lower stakes, Shourya certainly feels less dangerous than Rehman Dakait, but Akshaye turns him into an effective, mean and manipulative counterpoint to Sunny’s swagger.”
Tillotama Shome is a standout as Madhura Banerjee, the determined public prosecutor. The Hindu noted that she “turns up with ‘dhai kilo ka hath’… as the rookie prosecution lawyer, Madhura. The commercial space is not exactly meant for her, but with her naturalistic intervention, Tillotama proves to be an efficient disruptor in the man’s world.” Dia Mirza plays Avantika Mehra, Arjun’s wife, bringing emotional sincerity to the role, while Sanjeeda Sheikh leaves a solid impression as Gauri Gaur, Shauryaman’s abused wife. Shishir Sharma, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, Daria Bedi, Jyoti Mukerji, and Vijay Vikram Singh round out the supporting cast.
Ikka Plot: A Lawyer’s Impossible Choice
The story follows Arjun Mehra (Sunny Deol), a celebrated defence lawyer known throughout the legal community as “Ikka” for his unmatched courtroom record. He has built his reputation on a simple principle: he takes only cases involving people he believes are innocent. When politician Harshvardhan Gaur (Shishir Sharma) approaches him to defend his son, Shauryaman Gaur (Akshaye Khanna)—a wealthy playboy accused of attempting to murder a young woman named Soma Mittal (Akansha Ranjan Kapoor)—Arjun agrees to meet the family, only to reject the case in person. He knows Shauryaman from their past and believes he is guilty.
But then Arjun’s life is shattered. His daughter, Samaira (Daria Bedi), collapses during a school swim meet and is rushed to the hospital, where doctors reveal she has advanced-stage leukemia and requires a stem cell transplant within weeks. Neither Arjun nor his wife, Avantika (Dia Mirza), are compatible donors. In desperation, Arjun reveals a devastating secret: he is not Samaira’s biological father. Shauryaman Gaur is. He approaches Shauryaman and offers a deal—he will defend him in exchange for a stem cell donation that could save Samaira’s life.
As the trial begins, Soma remains in a coma after suffering a severe jugular wound. Prosecutor Madhura Banerjee (Tillotama Shome) presents a compelling case against Shauryaman, while Arjun begins his defence. Shauryaman testifies that he met Soma at a club, they left for dinner, and after she rejected his advance, she attacked him and ran away. His wife, Gauri (Sanjeeda Sheikh), initially supports his timeline, but Arjun has no independent alibi to offer.
Madhura challenges Shauryaman’s version by calling a tea vendor who claims Soma was pushed from the car, though he cannot identify Shauryaman as the driver. She then presents forensic evidence linking Shauryaman to the crime—a blood sample matching Soma’s DNA found inside his car key, despite the vehicle having been professionally cleaned. Arjun confronts Shauryaman, who continues to deny murder but admits to a physical confrontation. He threatens to replace Arjun as his lawyer if he cannot counter the prosecution’s evidence, which would end their agreement regarding Samaira’s transplant.
Arjun returns with a new forensic expert who challenges the DNA evidence as too small and degraded. During the trial, Soma dies from her injuries, changing the case to murder. A new witness places Shauryaman near the crime scene. Arjun questions Gauri again, and she reveals that Shauryaman had physically abused her and that she called police twice on the night of the murder—the first call capturing a man screaming in the background. As Samaira’s condition worsens, Arjun must use every trick in his arsenal to win the case and save his daughter’s life, even as he grapples with the moral cost of defending a man he believes is guilty.
“Sometimes the only way to win is to break every rule.”
