Sunny & Bobby Deol’s emotional tribute; Dharmendra’s 'Ikkis' readies for farewell release, “Our Papa’s Salute”

A day before Dharmendra's final film, 'Ikkis', hit theatres, his sons, actors Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol, offered a heartfelt tribute to the late legend.

Taking to Instagram, Sunny and Bobby shared a poster of 'Ikkis', featuring their father.

Describing the film as Dharmendra's "salute", they wrote, "Our Papa, the man of the soil, Ikkis is his salute - his gift to the earth he loved and to the fans who always stood by him. For our family, it is a treasure filled with his spirit, courage, and his heart. Today, with love and immense pride, we share it with the world, hoping it lives on the way he does - forever."

Earlier this week, Sunny Deol and Bobby Deol were present at the special screening of 'Ikkis', where the visibly emotional actors stood beside Dharmendra's poster.

Others to grace the screening were veteran actress Rekha, Ameesha Patel, Salman Khan, and Abhay Deol.

Directed by Sriram Raghavan, 'Ikkis' marks the last onscreen presence of Dharmendra, who passed away on November 24 at the age of 89. Speaking to ANI, Sriram Raghavan opened up about Dharmendra's association with the upcoming war biopic, which features Agastya Nanda in the lead as Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal.

Recalling that Dharmendra was already unwell during the final dubbing sessions in October, Raghavan shared, "I met him in October. That time he was okay, but he was not too well. He did watch the first half and waited for the second half. I wanted him to see the film in its entirety. Somehow, that couldn't happen. He is not here to enjoy the work he had done, and people appreciate that. That is a regret we have."

'Ikkis' is set to hit theatres on January 1, 2026.