Ikkis

Source: Maddock Films

‘Ikkis’

India’s Maddock Films has confirmed plans for a seven-title horror comedy franchise and upcoming war drama Ikkis.

The announcement was made on the eve of Waves Film Bazaar and the International Film Festival of India in Goa by company chief Dinesh Vijan.

The company is best-known for Stree and blockbuster sequel Stree 2, which earned more than $92m last year as well as Munja and Teri Baato Mein Aisa Aljha Jiya.

Among Maddock’s key upcoming titles is Ikkis, a war drama set for release on December 25. It is directed by Sriram Raghavan and inspired by the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra gallantry medal. The film features Agastya Nanda in the lead role, with Dharmendra playing a significant character.

Vijan revealed an ambitious long-term plan centred on expanding its horror-comedy universe. He revealed that the studio will roll out seven new horror-comedy films over the next five years, reinforcing “a commitment to building scalable, franchise-led IP”.

“The sweet spot is three to four films over a few years,” said Vijan. He explained that Maddock is focused on nurturing franchises that endure, rather than reacting to short-lived industry patterns.

Vijan said that the real challenge for cinema is not other studios, but the smartphone, which has shifted consumer attention to bite-sized video content. This shift has pushed Maddock towards “a platform-neutral approach, where IPs can transition seamlessly across theatrical releases, OTT platforms and mobile formats”.

He further predicted that generative artificial intelligence (AI) will be a major disruptor to the film industry within the next two years. “While these innovations promise higher production quality and broader reach, they also mean that every storyteller will be able to create, escalating the battle for viewer attention,” Vijan said.

AI filmmaking is being actively promoted and showcased by IFFI and Waves Film Bazaar, with festival chief Shekhar Kapur hailing the new technology’s ability to democratise storytelling.

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