When it came to making Ikka, his new film on Netflix, Siddharth P. Malhotra turned to two 1990s stars—Sunny Deol (Gadar 2, Border 2) and Akshaye Khanna (Dhurandhar)—who are defying age to rule Hindi cinema. Malhotra feels there is a good reason why there is a renaissance of actors from that decade. “Where are the heroes, those who actually go with conviction and clarity?” asks Malhotra. “Sunny and Akshaye have years of experience and stardom. These are the actors who make you feel.” To describe audiences’ penchant for them, Malhotra uses the analogy of how Indians never tire of dal chawal even after so many new cuisines have entered India.
Another important factor that makes the duo attractive to filmmakers is their accessibility. Actors of the current crop have managers who make access to them difficult. “Fixing a meeting becomes quite frustrating,” says Malhotra. That’s not the case with the likes of Deol and Khanna, who were reachable and responded quickly. “They don’t make you run around for eight months for a meeting or say things like ‘I have terms and conditions, my manager will speak to you’. They keep things simple.” It only helps that they know their craft. “It’s straight takes, no rehearsal. You get your shot, there’s no wasting time,” he adds.
Ikka is a face-off between a lawyer played by Deol and a former lawyer played by Khanna, whom Deol has to defend in court even though his heart isn’t in it. Deol’s character is already reminding audiences of his part in Damini (1993) in which he made the famous dialogue “Taareekh pe taarekh” While Damini has Deol fight for a cause, in Ikka, says Malhotra, he is fighting “for a man he doesn’t want to defend. He is an entitled rich lawyer It is also a father’s journey. There is a dilemma, and also some baggage.” Malhotra hints at a Deol rarely seen. “He is a broken man, vulnerable, with his back against the wall,” he adds.
Malhotra is aware that post their recent successes both actors have a fanbase with expectations. He promises a “masala film”, “a paisa vasool” experience. Why Netflix then? “I have been wanting to make this film for nine years,” says Malhotra. “Trying to get a film made, cast and land is impossible, no matter how big or small you are.” Once it ended up on Netflix, it was smooth sailing. “I showed them the first cut in March. They approved it and asked me not to change it,” Malhotra says.
There are a few parallels too between the actors who last acted together 29 years ago in Border (1997). Both are shy personalities who shun the media spotlight. “They test if you know your job as a director,” says Malhotra. “They see mahaul kya kai (the set), read the room. In the first shot, they can sense it. Then they decide whether they can sleepwalk through it or have to really work on it.” Thankfully for Malhotra, it was the latter with both Deol and Khanna in game-on mode. “Akshaye comes with his lines prepared. He sits with you, understands your motivation, understands the graph,” says Malhotra about his process. “Sunny sir will make the lines his own. He won’t follow it to the tee. He internalises the line to land it correctly. He follows the essence of the dialogue.”
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