Kesari Chapter 2, helmed by Karan Singh Tyagi uncovers the legal battle between advocate Sankaran Nair and the British Crown after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Bollywood is surfing high on the nationalism wave, dishing out back-to-back desh-bhakti films packed with high-octane action, drama, and seeti-maar dialogues, especially on the forgotten heroes of our history. While I’m not really an advocate of taking history lessons in movie theaters and strictly rely on our good old books, one cannot deny that these films with some ‘creative liberties’ have done a decent job resurrecting these unsung warriors in public discourse by shining a light on their extraordinary contributions to our country. Dharma’s latest offering in this genre is Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story Of Jallianwala Bagh, starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhvan, and Ananya Panday.
Kesari 2 is unrelated to Kesari and has no connection to the Battle of Saragarhi with the only commonality being Akshay Kumar and a story of relentless courage. And unlike most films of this genre, this one serves the audience a lot more than populist jingoism and chest-thumping sloganeering as it evokes the right kind of emotions towards a deep historical wound on our country's soul. The film as the name suggests explores the legal battle that unfolded following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre after an Indian lawyer Sankaran Nair(Akshay Kumar) sues the British Empire for genocide.
The film opens with the sequence of a big crowd of Sikhs gathered at Amritsar’s Jallianwala Bagh during Baisakhi to protest against the Rowlatt Act. We get a glimpse of a young revolutionary named Pargat Singh, who is accompanied by his mother and younger sister to protest against the draconian law and the injustice and oppression meted out to them and their fellow countrymen. As the crowd prepares to protest, General Reginald Dyer arrives with his men and opens fire at the innocent Sikhs. Pargat’s mother and sister die as he seeks shelter underneath a heap of dead bodies. The sequence is both scary and suffocating as the cries, chaos, bloodshed and severed bodies of the protesters evoke the intended impact of the tragedy. The audience is then introduced to Justice Sankaran Nair, a loyal servant of the Crown who represents the British Empire in cases against Indians. Not only this, he also happens to be the only Indian barrister in the Viceroy’s Council. However, a meeting with Pargat propels a change in heart for Sankaran.
This forms the backdrop of Kesari chapter 2 and the film then dives into a courtroom where Sankaran tries to fight General Dyer and Neville. The film starts well as the makers invest sincere efforts in presenting the heart-wrenching genocide. As mentioned before, it makes you uncomfortable, however, the sequence falls short in comparison to the one in Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham. Another notable sequence is the one when Sankaran Nair realizes that it’s time to stop serving the British and fight to bring justice to his oppressed countrymen. His transition evokes the right sentiments and if you’re a zealot like me, you’ll be inspired to at least voice out your dissent against injustices prevalent around you in the present time.
Following this, the film takes its time to chart out the storyline and settle the characters into the crux of the narrative. However, the film picks pace with the introduction of Madhavan’s Neville, who defends the crown. The case proceedings, especially the exchange between Sankaran and Neville are sharp, engaging, and intelligently written. The film, thankfully does not take the tried and tested route of melodrama and deafening background score to elevate the screenplay. However, the track, O Shera Teer Te Taj, adds to the fiery quotient of the scenes and is easily one of the high-points of the film. You will find yourself humming it even after the movie and is going to be your go-to song when you feel uninspired.
The film is an out-and-out Akshay Kumar spectacle as the actor steers the film on his stardom. He gives his all to the film and injects sincerity to the portrayal of his role. However, I had a hard time convincing myself that he plays a Malayali lawyer as his linguistic and behavioral characteristics conveyed otherwise. It felt like he was unable to shed his image and aura of a superstar and mild glimpses of ‘Typical Akshay Kumar in Priyadarshan movies’ was seen from time to time in his mannerisms and tonality.
R Madhavan shines bright as Neville McKinley. Known for his eye for detail and versatility, he lets Akshay take the driving seat and yet packs a punch with his potrayal of the character’s cunningness, haplessness, and vulnerability, proving yet again, why he is one of the finest in the business. Ananya too does a decent job as Dilreet Gill, a young lawyer inspired by Nair who also assists him in the case. She is improving her craft with each project and making people take notice of her growth as an actor. Amit Sial as another high-ranking officer in the British administration and Simon Paisley Day as General Dyer are also impressive.
Overall, Kesari Chapter 2 is an important ode to this unsung hero of our history, if not the best. The story of the unequal tussle between might and courage is particularly inspiring and compels you to think of the efforts and sacrifice that went behind the freedom of the country that we take for granted.
Kesari Chapter 2 is now showing in theaters near you!
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