Ikka Review: Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna’s Courtroom Drama Is Too Shallow, Lacks Personality!
Ikka on Netflix is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra. Read our review here.
2 / 5
Humans are naturally curious to know more about something that isn’t in their reach. And therefore, courtroom dramas make for such an engaging watch. A new courtroom drama is scheduled to release on Netflix, titled Ikka. The film brings back Sunny Deol in the role of a lawyer. It also stars Akshaye Khana, Dia Mirza, Tillotama Shome, Sanjeeda Sheikh and Akansha Ranjan in pivotal roles. The film is directed by Siddharth P Malhotra, and it has been watched. Here’s a quick review of Ikka. Read on.
Plot
The story kicks off with Shauryamann (Akshaye Khanna) and Soma (Akansha Ranjan) on a date, having a gala time, but things turn bad when Soma is killed. Shauryamann is the prime accused, and he is arrested for the crime. Simultaneously, Sunny Deol’s Senior Lawyer, Arjun, is also introduced to us. Dia Mirza plays Arjun’s wife. Arjun, a man of ethics and morals, initially declines to take up the high-profile case, but Shauryamann uses his personal hardships against him and gets him to represent his case. Tillotama Shome plays the prosecutor, but unfortunately, she loses the case. What happens next is the final twist in the film.
Story, Screenplay
The story of Ikka is quite disappointing. The film merges two major conflicts from Arjun’s professional and personal lives, but the writing is weak. It’s not a through-and-through courtroom drama because most of the film happens outside the courtroom. Ikka attempts to show how a desperate father goes against his moral boundaries as a senior lawyer, but this primary conflict is not even remotely impactful because the script lacks a solid build-up and emotional depth. Things are just happening!
The crime at hand is also not engaging enough to keep us curious about what will happen next. It’s a whole different issue that the narrative forces itself to reach a morally right climax, even if all the pieces do not come together satisfactorily and convincingly. A courtroom drama is technically supposed to deal with the nuances of the crime, the investigation, and the arguments that follow; however, Ikka gives up most of its time being dramatic and out loud. Every little thing in the film is spoon-fed, through mass dialogue or formulaic writing.
The writing also gets silly when it starts to deal with a murder case like it’s a piece of cake, and court hearings like it’s no big deal! There are several loopholes in the story where there the film leaves conflicts unexplained.
The Background Score
Legends say I can still hear the background score. The film tries too hard to add some emotional value to the narrative through dramatic background scores. The intensity increases in tense situations, and it mellows down in sad moments. However, instead, these BGM become distracting!
Characters And Performances
Sunny Deol, as the senior lawyer Arjun, carries an impressive persona and personality. The actor is impressive in his role as a lawyer and a loving father. However, it’s the writing that is flawed. His character is just boiled down to being a flagbearer of morality on many occasions, and it’s not subtle. It’s in our faces! It’s difficult to navigate the feelings of this character well because everything seems to be too shallow. Dia Mirza as a tense mother fits the role quite well. Safe to say, Akshaye Khanna’s Shauryamann could be a lost twin of Rehman Dakait, in some parallel universe. There is nothing new or rather interesting about this character either. Tillotama Shoma is always a delight to watch. I found myself when her character appeared on the screen, in some hope. While the actor is flawless, her character gets too little to shine.
Verdict
Ikka, starring Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Dia Mirza and Tillotama Shome, is a product of lazy writing and uneventful moments. It’s easy to keep losing track because the film hardly has strong elements to hold your attention, except at times when Sunny Deol’s Arjun lashes out at people. Ikka’s execution is not upto the mark!
First Published: July 10, 2026 1:18 PM
