Sunny Deol is set to return to the courtroom in the upcoming Netflix legal thriller Ikka, where he locks horns with Akshaye Khanna. But there’s a twist. Instead of facing off against each other, the two powerhouse actors find themselves on the same side, taking on Tilotoma Shome in court. Of course, Ikka, the ‘ace,’ has a few tricks up its sleeve, making the courtroom drama even more compelling.In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, director Siddharth P Malhotra opens up about his love for the genre, balancing Deol’s legacy with a fresh legal avatar, working with Khanna after Dhurandhar, and why he believes today’s audiences have become increasingly unforgiving.Excepts edited for clarity and brevityWhat keeps drawing you back to courtroom dramas?I have a third script that I’m working on, which is also in a similar genre. Then it would be my courtroom trilogy. (Laughs) I don’t know what it is about the genre. This is a subject I’ve had since my first film, We’re a Family. This is actually the first film I ever wanted to make. I’ve been trying to tell this story since my Dharma days. I told Karan (Johar), “I want to make this film.” He said, “Yeah, yeah, let me get to it.” It didn’t happen. Then I went to Adi (Aditya Chopra). I wanted to make the film there. Adi worked on the script with me. He is also credited on Ikka. So this film has gone through an entire evolutionary journey. And then, when it finally happened, it happened with Sunny Deol, Akshaye Khanna, and Netflix, in the best way possible.About the genre, after Hichki, I came across this story, which I felt needed to be told, and that became Maharaj. Then I was working on another film for Netflix with Sunny sir, not this one. For some reason, that film didn’t happen. They asked me, “Do you have anything else that we can do with Sunny sir?” I said, “I have Ikka.” Sunny sir had always liked it. I had narrated it to him about a year and a half earlier on the Batwara set. He asked, “Who’s going to play Shauryaman?” I said, “Sir, I want Akshaye Khanna.” He said, “Will he do?”I called Akshaye. Within two days after I gave him the script, he called and said he is doing it. This was last September. In October, the contracts were signed. We did the look test, shot in November, and wrapped in December. It took more than nine years just to get someone to let me make it the way I wanted to make it. So I was living with this story for nine years. But when we finally shot it, we finished it in just 30 shifts. Sunny Deol will play a lawyer in Ikka.Sunny Deol’s lawyer in Damini remains iconic. Did that legacy add any pressure while shaping his character in Ikka?There is a certain amount of fandom that you have to cater to. And if I don’t cater to it, then I’ll be letting his fans down because they come with a legacy. In Damini, the character that Rajkumar Santoshi created is fighting for the common man. However, here, in Ikka, he’s a rich lawyer fighting for a cause that, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t fight for. So he cannot have those same motivations as the character in this film. Given a choice, he would have been fighting for the girl who’s fighting for her life. Instead, he’s defending Akshaye’s character. So there’s a moral dilemma. The character is doing what he’s doing for emotionally right reasons, but whether it’s morally correct or incorrect, that’s where the fun of the film lies.Story continues below this adYou were shooting when Dhurandhar released and turned Akshaye Khanna into an overnight sensation again. Did that change the way you approached his character?Dhurandhar was being shot when we were preparing. It was on the verge of releasing when we started shooting, and it released while we were still filming. So I think all of that happened simultaneously. Akshaye is the kind of person who doesn’t take success to his head or failure to his heart. Just because he doesn’t give interviews or talk much doesn’t mean otherwise. He’s a very grounded person. I know him as a friend now, and he’s very clear about what he wants.He’s actually one of the easiest actors for a director or filmmaker to work with because what he tells you is exactly what he means. There’s no complication in his life. He also knew that this was a one-off. He said, “I’ve done my job as an actor. This fandom has come in a certain way, and this too shall pass.” Akshaye isn’t deluded by success. He told me, “Don’t take the pressure. You just make your film. Make sure it’s a good one.” So I didn’t take any pressure because of that. Also, Aditya is a dear friend. I’ve known Aditya since the time he came in as a writer. He was at Dharma trying to get a film made. I have a bias towards him because I genuinely think he’s a lovely guy. So whatever Aditya does, I simply want his film to do well, beyond anything else.Also Read | Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga chronicles a country in danger of forgetting itselfStory continues below this adThe film could have easily been a theatrical release. Why did you choose a direct-to-streaming premiere?See, Adi is the one who told me this because he’s a leader in the true sense. He said, “Today, those lines are blurred. You’re a filmmaker. You have a story to tell. Somebody is giving you the opportunity to tell that story.” For me, Monica Shergill and Netflix are letting me tell my stories. I should be indebted for that. With Maharaj, Adi believed in me after seeing just two of my films and saying, “He will make a great film.” Otherwise, nobody would have made that film. He made it because he believed in the film. He didn’t look at sales or commercial calculations. Monica has a similar belief.So I don’t have any debate about theatres versus streaming platforms. I genuinely believe that even if it’s a YouTube film or even a play, as long as the story is being told, tell it.I’d be lying if I said I don’t love the theatrical experience. But in the times we’re living in, I’m not deluded. If I’m getting the opportunity to tell a story, I should tell it. Today’s audience is unforgiving. If you don’t give them something that’s worth their time and money, they won’t give you a second chance. And I’m not going to get another job, no matter how good or talented I am. You have to deliver.Tilotoma Shome and Dia Mirza seem to be the film’s moral compass. Story continues below this adTilotama’s role is that of someone who has idolised Sunny sir throughout her career. She’s studied his books and never imagined that one day she would be standing against Arjun Mehra, the so-called Ikka. He’s called Ikka because he always throws the ace of spades at the very end to win the trial. She goes through her own journey as a woman, understanding what it means to defend a child, how women are treated, how they’re perceived, and what they go through in court. She has a daughter, she has her own life, so she’s carrying her own emotional journey. Eventually, she begins to look up to this man as a mentor. At one point, that mentor falls from grace and then rises again. So she has a complete arc in the film.And for Dia, she’s such a good actor and such a wonderful human being. We’ve been friends, I’ve worked with her before, and I’ve known her and her husband for quite a while. The role was much smaller then. I told her, “We’ll work together and make it more badass.” And we did. She plays Sunny sir’s wife. She has a lot to do with both the past and the present of the story. She’s also a lawyer and understands the nuances of the law, which you’ll see in the film. Lawyer Sunny Deol defends accused Akshaye Khanna in the Netflix film.You’re already thinking about a sequel?This is a franchise film. It’s a film that can continue because it’s like The Lincoln Lawyer. He’s known as Ikka because he comes with the ace of spades. Every sequel can have a brand-new case. You don’t need to continue the same case in every film. The lawyer and his life carry on. He’ll be tried and tested again, but the case can be completely new. Maybe in Ikka 2, he’s fighting for the common man and then you can see Sunny Deol from Damini.Story continues below this adWhat can you tell us about your much-discussed next film, Kamal Aur Meena?I’m hoping that my next film is that, but I’m also working on a very passionate musical love story, which is a series. I’m also working on a dog-based film, a film about pets. So again, it’s a very different genre. I think the last film of that kind we saw was 777 Charlie.So yes, I’m working on a couple of ideas. Let’s see where they go. As for Kamal Aur Meena, I’m hoping it happens once the casting is locked, because that’s the biggest challenge. Who will play Meena Kumari? Who will play Kamal Amrohi? Who will play Kamal Amrohi’s first wife, Mehboobi ji? This film is officially being produced by the Amrohi family. The script has turned out outstanding. It’s also an expensive film. So in today’s time, as I said, getting films made is difficult. On this one, I’m just the director. As a producer, there are many moving parts that have to come together before the film can actually happen.Also Read | Divyenndu on massive gamble of Mirzapur The Film, his ‘daddy issues’ typecasting: ‘Still hungry’Story continues below this ad Ek Din stars Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi.Junaid Khan recently revealed that you were originally supposed to direct Ek Din. It was originally my script. I wanted to direct it. But at that point, I was working on another film, so I couldn’t direct it. Then Aamir sir came to me and said, “Please let us buy it from you.” So I sold the script and the rights.You’ve watched the film? What did you think of it?It’s a sweet film. Obviously, every director has a different point of view. Sunil did a great job. I would have made a different film because my way of shooting and my filmmaking sensibility are different. Also, I know Junaid very well, inside out. So the way I would have handled him would have been very different. I would have shot him differently, directed his performance differently. I know him almost like I know my own son. Because when you launch a new actor, you’re taking responsibility for that person. You’re emotionally invested in them. More importantly, I know exactly what not to do with him.