Actor Vijay Vikram Singh has shared a candid glimpse into life on the sets of the 2026 Netflix legal thriller Ikka, revealing that co-star Akshaye Khanna is famously guarded and deeply immersed in character during shoots — so much so that even a brief conversation with him felt like a personal milestone.

Khanna's Intense On-Set Focus

Singh described Khanna's on-set demeanour as one of near-total withdrawal from casual interaction. 'On that set, another achievement for me was that Akshaye sir doesn't talk to anyone in general. He is so involved in the character that he doesn't talk much on the set. And I was among those few people with whom Akshaye sir had a good conversation for 5-7 minutes. So, I consider it my achievement,' Singh said.

The observation aligns with Khanna's well-documented reputation for methodical preparation. In Ikka, Khanna portrays Shauryamann Gaur, also known as Rehman Dakait — a mysterious, arrogant, and deeply intimidating antagonist at the centre of a high-profile attempted murder and homicide case. The role demands a commanding screen presence that keeps the audience and the courtroom perpetually off-balance.

The Courtroom Battle at the Heart of Ikka

The drama's central tension unfolds when Gaur is represented in court by his former rival — an honest and uncompromising defence lawyer played by Sunny Deol. The adversarial dynamic between Khanna's calculating antagonist and Deol's principled lawyer reportedly drives the thriller's narrative arc across its episodes.

The film also stars Dia Mirza and Tillotama Shome in key roles. Ikka premiered on Netflix on 10 July 2026.

Singh's Starstruck Moment with Sunny Deol

Singh also recalled an endearingly nervous first encounter with Deol on set. So overcome with excitement was he that he blurted out a reference to the iconic Damini dialogue — without quite registering what he was saying in the moment.

'When I met Sunny sir for the first time, I did not even realize what I was saying. I told him, "Sunny, sir, you are asking for a date from Damini, and finally I will give you a date in this movie." Later, I realized that I was so excited that I did not know what I was saying. But he is such a sweet person that he laughed a lot. In fact, he made a video with me on the same topic when we met at the success party,' Singh recalled.

What the Anecdotes Reveal

The behind-the-scenes accounts paint Ikka as a project where veteran actors brought their full weight to set — Khanna through near-monastic character immersion, and Deol through the kind of warmth that puts younger co-stars at ease. For Singh, sharing screen space with both appears to have been a formative professional experience. With Ikka already streaming on Netflix, audience reception will determine whether this ensemble's chemistry translates into a follow-up project.