CBFC makes major move on 'Ikkis' dialogue ahead of release

The Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has reportedly removed a 15‑second dialogue referring to India‑Pakistan relations from the upcoming Bollywood film Ikkis in the final stages of its censor review, industry sources say. 

The patriotic war drama, which chronicles the true story of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra recipient during the 1971 India‑Pakistan war, has also undergone other certification adjustments as it heads toward its January 1 theatrical release.

According to exclusive reports, the CBFC instructed the filmmakers to modify the opening disclaimer to include acknowledgements for the Poona Horse Regiment, Colonel Hanuth Singh and the tank crew, along with corresponding voiceovers to contextualise the real‑life contributions of these forces, as per Bollywood Hungama.

In the second half of the film, censors asked for the removal of the name of a tank and ultimately deleted a brief dialogue touching on India‑Pakistan relations, a sensitive topic given the subject matter. 

Officials also mandated standard compliance edits, including blurring an alcohol brand and adding anti‑smoking static warnings.

Following these changes, Ikkis received a U/A 13+ certificate on December 15, 2025, with a final runtime of 147 minutes and 15 seconds.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan and starring Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat and Simar Bhatia, the film also features the late Dharmendra in one of his final roles and is set to kick off the new year with its patriotic narrative.