Akanksha Ranjan channels Dhurandhar fever to promote Sunny Deol's Ikka
Synopsis
Akanksha Ranjan is using Dhurandhar's viral villain Rehman Dakait as a hook to draw eyeballs to Ikka — a smart crossover play that puts both films in the same conversation. With Akshaye Khanna appearing in both, the line between promotion and fandom has never been blurrier.
Key Takeaways
Akanksha Ranjan shared BTS clips from Ikka on social media, captioning them with a line inspired by Akshaye Khanna 's character Rehman Dakait from Dhurandhar .
Ikka is a legal thriller directed by Siddharth P.
Malhotra , starring Sunny Deol , Akshaye Khanna , Dia Mirza , Tillotama Shome , and Sanjeeda Sheikh .
Ranjan made her acting debut with Guilty in 2020 and plays a pivotal role in Ikka .
Dhurandhar , directed by Aditya Dhar , features Ranveer Singh , Akshaye Khanna , Sanjay Dutt , and others in a counter-terrorism spy thriller.
The hashtag #JusticeForSomaMittal in Ranjan's post hints at her character's fate in Ikka .
Actress Akanksha Ranjan is riding the wave of Dhurandhar mania to spotlight her courtroom thriller Ikka, starring Sunny Deol, blending behind-the-scenes moments with a cheeky nod to Akshaye Khanna's breakout villain turn in the blockbuster spy drama. The actress, who appears in both films, shared a reel on social media that has caught the attention of fans of both projects.
The Dhurandhar Hook
Ranjan posted a series of BTS clips from the sets of Ikka, including a striking moment where she is seen with fake blood on herself. One clip shows a scene in which Akshaye Khanna's character murders her character in the film — a moment she used to cleverly tie into the Dhurandhar craze sweeping social media.
For her caption, she borrowed a line inspired by Khanna's widely discussed character Rehman Dakait from Dhurandhar, writing: 'Rehman Dakait ki di hui maut badi kasainuma hoti hain… Have you watched Ikka yet?? #JusticeForSomaMittal #Ikka.' The hashtag #JusticeForSomaMittal suggests her character, Soma Mittal, meets a grim fate in the film.
About Ikka
Ikka is a legal thriller directed and produced by Siddharth P. Malhotra. The film follows a celebrated, incorruptible lawyer who is forced into a moral crisis when he must defend a man accused of murder in order to protect his daughter. Beyond Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna, the cast includes Dia Mirza, Tillotama Shome, and Sanjeeda Sheikh.
Ranjan, who made her acting debut in Guilty in 2020, plays a pivotal role in the narrative — one that, based on the BTS footage, involves a violent turn central to the plot.
About Dhurandhar
Directed by Aditya Dhar, Dhurandhar is a high-stakes covert counter-terrorism thriller following an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates Karachi's criminal syndicates and Pakistani political structures to dismantle a terror network targeting India. Its second installment extends that arc, weaving in the aftermath of the 26/11 attacks and drawing loosely on real-life South Asian geopolitical events.
The film features an ensemble cast including Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, R. Madhavan, Sara Arjun, Rakesh Bedi, Gaurav Gera, and Danish Pandor. Khanna's portrayal of Rehman Dakait has become one of the most-talked-about performances of the year, making his villain a cultural reference point — one Ranjan is now cashing in on for Ikka's visibility.
The Crossover Moment
Ranjan's post is a textbook example of franchise cross-pollination — leveraging the cultural heat of one blockbuster to drive curiosity toward a smaller release. With Dhurandhar dominating online conversations, her reference to Rehman Dakait is likely to pull fans toward Ikka who might otherwise have overlooked it. Whether the strategy translates into footfalls remains to be seen.
Point of View
But it also underscores a broader trend: mid-budget films increasingly piggybacking on blockbuster cultural moments to cut through a crowded release calendar. Ikka faces the classic challenge of a serious legal drama competing against franchise spectacle. Using Akshaye Khanna's Dhurandhar villain — who appears in both films — as a bridge is the most efficient shortcut available. The real question is whether Ikka has enough word-of-mouth legs of its own, or whether it will be remembered primarily as the film that borrowed Rehman Dakait's shadow.
NationPress
11 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Akanksha Ranjan's role in Ikka?
Akanksha Ranjan plays a pivotal character named Soma Mittal in Ikka, a legal thriller starring Sunny Deol and Akshaye Khanna. Based on her BTS post and the hashtag #JusticeForSomaMittal, her character appears to be murdered in the film.
What is the film Ikka about?
Ikka is a legal thriller directed and produced by Siddharth P. Malhotra. It follows a celebrated, incorruptible lawyer who faces a moral dilemma when forced to defend a man accused of murder in order to save his daughter. The cast includes Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, Dia Mirza, Tillotama Shome, and Sanjeeda Sheikh.
What is Dhurandhar about?
Dhurandhar, directed by Aditya Dhar, is a covert counter-terrorism thriller about an undercover Indian intelligence agent who infiltrates Karachi's criminal networks and Pakistani political structures to dismantle a terror organisation targeting India. The film draws loosely on real South Asian geopolitical events, including the 26/11 attacks.
Who is Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar?
Rehman Dakait is a villain character portrayed by Akshaye Khanna in Dhurandhar. The character has become one of the most talked-about performances of the film, spawning viral dialogue and social media references.
Who directed Dhurandhar?
Dhurandhar is directed by Aditya Dhar, known for his work on Uri: The Surgical Strike. The film features Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Sanjay Dutt, Arjun Rampal, and R. Madhavan, among others.
