Last Updated:January 02, 2026, 10:14 IST

Naseeruddin Shah’s son Vivaan Shah penned an appreciation post for his Ikkis co-star Agastya Nanda, and revealed that he poured his blood, sweat, and tears into the film.

Agastya Nanda Is ‘A Blessing To Indian Cinema’, Says Ikkis Co-Star Vivaan Shah: ‘He’s An Inspiration To Me’

Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson Agastya Nanda’s film ‘Ikkis’, directed by Sriram Raghav, released in theatres yesterday, on January 1. The film also stars Dharmendra, Jaideep Ahlawat, Simar Bhatia, and others. Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak’s son Vivaan Shah, who also stars in the film, has now penned an appreciation post for his co-actor Agastya. He shared his experience working with Agastya, and praised his acting skills, revealing that he poured his blood, sweat, and tears into the film.

Vivaan Shah’s Heartfelt Post For Ikkis Co-Star Agastya Nanda

Vivaan Shah took to his Instagram to share a heartfelt post for his Ikkis co-actor Agastya Nanda. “This is an appreciation post for my favourite co-actor and one of the kindest, most brilliant and most beautiful human beings I have ever met! You’re a blessing in all of our lives Aggi! Love you,” he wrote. Vivaan recalled working with Abhishek Bachchan when he was Agastya’s age, and said that he wasn’t half as mature at that age. “I was exactly Agastya’s age when I worked with his Maamu (working with @bachchan was one of the most special and sacred experiences of my entire life), and let me tell you I was not half as evolved and mature as Agastya at that age. Agastya is an inspiration to me! At 23 going on 24 (now 25) he is a fully formed individual and an extraordinarily sophisticated actor. He has such command over his craft. Just two films old he has already delivered one of the greatest performances I have ever seen!” he wrote.

He further added, “His portrayal of Arun Kheterpal is magnificent beyond words; poignant, powerful, intense, full of the vitality and confusion and also innocence of youth. Observe the way he uses his eyes, with subtle variations of mood and thought, his voice which is at once commanding and tender, I especially love it when he shouts ‘Fire!’ or ‘Let’s go boys!’ That kind of dramatic acting is a lost art. It’s operatic! Not everyone can pull it off. I remember the goosebumps I would get when his Nana would perform such scenes in his beautiful films.”

Vivaan then added that Agastya has worked extremely hard for this film, and dedicated 3-4 years of his life to Ikkis. “He has put his blood, sweat and tears, his heart and soul into the film, he’s given 3 to 4 years of his life. He’s gone through the NDA training, lived the life of a soldier, inhabited his character soooooooo magnificently!!! One of the sweetest things is I remember one day we swapped tanks, and I climbed into his for a shot, and inside I saw that he had put up a photograph of Arun Kheterpal. I’m getting emotional just thinking about it. His devotion to Arun is the kind of thing that just cannot be articulated. You have to see the film to experience it. He is a blessing to Indian cinema. You’ll must be sooooooo proud Shweta, Nicky and @navyananda,” wrote Vivaan.

Shweta Bachchan Reacts

Agastya’s mother Shweta Bachchan got emotional after reading Vivaan’s post. She wrote, “Dearest Vivaan – I started my morning with your post and teared up!!! I hope my son lives up to all the faith and belief you have in him. Thank you for holding his hand through it all encouraging teaching and I’m sure at times tolerating his pranks. Sending you all my gratitude. Thank you.”

About Ikkis

Sriram Raghavan’s biographical war drama film ‘Ikkis’ is based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal and focuses on the Battle of Basantar during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The film’s title marks the age at which he attained martyrdom.

The film is all set to release on January 1, 2026. While Agastya Nanda portrays Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal in Ikkis, Simar Bhatia will be seen as Kiran. This film marks late actor Dharmendra’s posthumous film appearance, and he plays Brigadier ML Khetarpal (Retd.), Arun Khetarpal’s father in the movie. The cast also includes Jaideep Ahlawat, Shree Bishnoi, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher, Rahul Dev, Vivaan Shah, and others.