Nikhil Advani Snubs ‘Dhurandhar’, Says He’ll Watch It on TV but Will See ‘Ikkis’ in Theaters

While Dhurandhar has grossed ₹1,220 crore worldwide, acclaimed director Nikhil Advani, known for films like Kal Ho Naa Ho and Salaam-E-Ishq, recently stated that he plans to watch the film on television. In contrast, he intends to watch Dharma Productions’ Ikkis on the big screen.

Advani is currently in the spotlight for his new series Freedom at Midnight Season 2, which explores the India-Pakistan Partition, the associated violence, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. In a recent interview, he revealed that the series was scheduled to release on 9 January, coinciding with the theatrical releases of Dhurandhar and Ikkis.

Speaking to NDTV, the 54-year-old director said, “I wasn’t aware that Dhurandhar and Ikkis would release around the same time as Freedom at Midnight 2. I haven’t watched Dhurandhar yet, but I want to see Ikkis.” When asked directly whether he would watch Dhurandhar, Advani added, “It’s coming on TV, so I’ll watch it there. For Ikkis, I’ll go to the theater.”

Despite his preference for watching Dhurandhar on TV, Advani praised filmmaker Aditya Dhar, saying, “I’ve heard great things about Dhurandhar. Aditya Dhar is a strong filmmaker with a compelling voice.”

Freedom at Midnight 2, based on the book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, will stream on Sony LIV from 9 January. Advani, who serves as creator, director, and co-producer, said the series aims to immerse viewers in the realities of Partition, emphasizing that war, while sometimes inevitable, never truly brings peace—only death.

The series features Siddhant Gupta, Chirag Vohra, Rajendra Chawla, Arif Zakaria, Ira Dubey, Malishka Mendonsa, Rajesh Kumar, KC Shankar, Luke McGibney, Cordelia Bugeja, and Ali in pivotal roles.