Between the OTT releases of twenty-one (2026), director Sriram Raghavan has reacted to the theatrical response to his war-drama. He admitted that the response to the film after its release surprised the team and claimed that the critics had not even seen the film.

At a session organized by the Screenwriters Association (SWA), Raghavan emphasized creative expression and said, “It becomes a little crazy if I start censoring myself out of fear, when I feel like I want to say something, but I’m afraid. If that happens, I have to find a way to do it. As filmmakers, that’s what we should do. In this case too, I think many of those who are objecting probably haven’t seen the film. Now that it’s released, I hope they see it.

twenty-one The director also noted that when Twenty One was shown to members of the armed forces, the response was overwhelmingly positive. The 62-year-old said, “In fact, we were quite amazed by the response we got after the film came out. Our first screening was in Delhi to an audience of over 800 people, consisting entirely of Army, top officers, veterans and young cadets. It was a solid screening, which was also our main, first big screening with outsiders.”

Reflecting on the differing reactions anticipated during production, Raghavan highlighted that he had raised similar concerns with producer Dinesh Vijan years earlier. He further added, “He (Dinesh Vijan) said, ‘No – why are you saying that?’ I told him I didn’t feel the same way. But he breaks it down very simply: ‘The boy goes and destroys their tanks, the father goes and forgives. So what?

Inspired by the life of Arun Khetrapal, the youngest recipient of the Param Vir Chakra, twenty-one It depicts the Battle of Basantar during the India–Pakistan War of 1971. Starring Agastya Nanda, Jaideep Ahlawat and Simran Bhatia, the film is also the last film of late actor Dharmendra.

twenty-one Released theatrically on January 1, 2026. The film is available for streaming on Prime Video.