New Delhi

Actor Vivaan Shah says portraying a real-life military officer in filmmaker Sriram Raghavan’s war drama Ikkis was both a privilege and a creative challenge, with much of his performance inspired by his uncle, retired Lieutenant General Zameeruddin Shah.

In the film, which revolves around the life and sacrifice of Arun Khetrapal, India’s youngest Param Vir Chakra recipient who was killed in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, Shah essays the role of Captain Vijendra Malhotra — a calm, sharp senior officer whose composure contrasts with Khetrapal’s youthful intensity on the battlefield.

Calling the role a “blessing”, Shah said his uncle’s larger-than-life presence deeply influenced his portrayal. “I drew a lot from my father’s elder brother, Zameeruddin Shah, who fought in the Battle of Longewala. He has a very dynamic personality, and that stayed with me while shaping the character,” the actor told PTI. Alongside this, Shah studied photographs and available material on the real Captain Malhotra to ground the role in authenticity.

The son of veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, Vivaan said Ikkis allowed him to play a character unlike any he had attempted before. “This is the first time I’ve played someone who is smart, cool-headed and authoritative. That was one of the greatest joys of doing this film,” he said.

The project also marked Shah’s first collaboration with Raghavan, a filmmaker he has long admired. However, the experience carries a personal regret — he never got the opportunity to meet legendary actor Dharmendra, who featured in the film and passed away last year at the age of 89.

Dharmendra plays Brigadier Madan Lal Khetrapal, Arun Khetrapal’s father, who travels to Pakistan years after his son’s death to visit his ancestral village. “Our tracks didn’t overlap, and that remains one of my biggest regrets. Dharmendraji was one of my heroes and also my father’s screen idol,” Shah said, recalling how Naseeruddin Shah grew up watching classics like Haqeeqat and Phool Aur Pathar. He added that his father later wrote a heartfelt tribute to the late star.

According to Shah, his parents were deeply moved by the film and its underlying message. “They appreciated that it’s essentially a humane, anti-war film. That aspect touched them deeply,” he said, adding that Dharmendra’s final scene proved especially emotional for his father. “It felt cathartic — almost like a graceful farewell. His last words in the film are ‘Rab rakha’.”

Reflecting on the making of Ikkis, Shah said he continues to be struck by the story’s emotional depth. Beyond the narrative, the opportunity to work with Raghavan was the primary draw. “I wouldn’t call it a message-driven film. Art shouldn’t be didactic — it should move you in a deeper way,” he said.

For preparation, while co-actor Agastya Nanda and other younger cast members underwent full NDA-style training, Shah trained at the Armoured Corps Centre in Ahmednagar. He participated in physical drills, radio communication sessions, and learned the mechanics of tank warfare. “Driving a real tank was surreal. I kept asking myself if it was actually happening,” he recalled.

Though Ikkis marks a shift from Raghavan’s well-known thrillers like Ek Hasina Thi and Andhadhun, Shah does not see it as a departure. Comparing the director to filmmakers such as Samuel Fuller and Sam Peckinpah, he said Raghavan is extending a cinematic tradition where filmmakers known for noir and crime also explored war narratives shaped by lived experience.

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Having worked earlier with directors like Anurag Kashyap and Vishal Bhardwaj, Shah said he believes roles often find the actor, not the other way around. “There are roles I hope to do, but I’m realistic. I just want to keep doing honest work when the right opportunities come,” he added.