EXCLUSIVE: Ikkis director Sriram Raghavan reveals, “Dharmendra had seen 70% of the film; regret he couldn’t watch final product”; recalls his first meeting during Johnny Gaddaar: “I wondered, ‘He was MP and I was offering him a gangster film. What would he think?’”

By Fenil Seta -

November 30, 2025 - 10:36 AM IST

The nation went into mourning as everyone’s favourite actor, Dharmendra, passed away at the age of 89, on November 24. His final film, Ikkis, will be released on December 25. Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to its director, Sriram Raghavan, who opened up about the bond he shared with the dashing star.

EXCLUSIVE: Ikkis director Sriram Raghavan reveals, “Dharmendra had seen 70% of the film; regret he couldn’t watch final product”; recalls his first meeting during Johnny Gaddaar: “I wondered, ‘He was MP and I was offering him a gangster film. What would he think?’”

When asked if Dharmendra got a chance to see Ikkis, Sriram Raghavan said, “We dubbed a little bit with him in October. While dubbing, he wanted to see other portions as well. He saw 70% of the film. I insisted that he should see the film with background music and rolling titles, as it would make for a wholesome experience. After all, in a dubbing theatre, one can’t get that feeling. He agreed.”

Sadly, that didn’t happen. Sriram sighed, “I regret the fact that he could not watch the film properly on screen.”

Ikkis was the second time that Sriram Raghavan worked with Dharmendra. They both collaborated on the gripping thriller, Johnny Gaddaar (2007), which served as Neil Nitin Mukesh’s launch vehicle.

When asked about his first meeting with Dharmendra, Sriram Raghavan recalled, “Someone had fixed up an appointment with him. I was quite nervous. After all, I was meeting a star that I had always loved. He was a Member of Parliament at that time. I wondered, ‘I am going to offer him a crime story about gangsters. What would he think?’ (laughs).”

Sriram continued, “But he put me at ease. Then, we started talking about cinema. I listed so many of his films, which I had seen. He was very amused and surprised. He asked, ‘Oh, you have seen this film of mine also?’. I told him, ‘Yes sir, I remember the song and situation in the film’. He started laughing and loved it. That helped break the ice. He understood that I was a film buff and I kept asking him about other filmmakers as well. I had a great time with him.”

Also Read: Sriram Raghavan opens up about his film with Agastya Nanda; says, “Ekkis is not going to be the Amar Chitra Katha version of that story”