Veteran actor Dharmendra passed away last month, not much time before his film Ikkis was set for release. Speaking with news agency ANI, Ikkis' director Sriram Raghavan shared that late Dharmendra unfortunately did not have the opportunity to watch the complete film. He mentioned that late Dharmendra was already unwell during the final dubbing sessions in October of this year. Sriram shared insights into Dharmendra's involvement with the upcoming war biopic. He shared, "I met him in October. That time he was okay, but he was not too well. He did watch the first half and waited for the second half. I wanted him to see the film in its entirety. Somehow, that couldn't happen. He is not here to enjoy the work he had done, and people appreciate that. That is a regret we have." The director revealed that Dharmendra would often write dialogues in Urdu before filming. He said, "He's old school. He would write his dialogues in Urdu. And he would also write the core actor's dialogues. He was extremely well-prepared." Dharmendra passed away on November 24 at his residence in Juhu, Mumbai, following health complications. He is survived by his wife, Hema Malini, and their two daughters, Esha and Ahana. Additionally, Dharmendra had four children with his first wife, Prakash Kaur, among whom are the actors Sunny and Bobby Deol. Dharmendra's film Ikkis, which will feature his final on-screen appearance, will release on January 1, 2026. The film also stars Agastya Nanda in the lead role as Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal. Additionally, Jaideep Ahlawat, Suhasini Mulay, Sikander Kher, Simar Bhatia and Rahul Dev are part of the cast. Directed by Sriram and produced by Dinesh Vijan, Ikkis is a war biopic based on the life of Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra. Also Read: Esha Deol makes her first public appearance after Dharmendra's demise