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Filmmaker Siddharth P Malhotra: ‘They were simply the right actors for the story’
Updated On: 20 June, 2026 08:09 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
Director Siddharth P Malhotra says Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna were his first choices for Netflix's courtroom drama Ikka. Deol came on board after liking the script, while Khanna signed on after reading it in one sitting

Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna in ‘Ikka’. Pics/By Special Arrangement, YouTube
Put two powerhouse actors in a courtroom, arm them with a gripping story, and sparks are bound to fly. Director Siddharth P Malhotra has done just that with Netflix’s courtroom drama Ikka, reuniting Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna nearly three decades after Border (1997). The casting came at the right moment. While Deol expanded his fan base with Gadar 2: The Katha Continues (2023) and Border 2, Khanna became one of the biggest talking points with Dhurandhar (2025). “They were simply the right actors for the story,” he shares.

Akshaye Khanna, Pooja Bhatt, and Sunny Deol in ‘Border’ (1997)


