Kesari Chapter 2 delivers a chilling account of justice and sacrifice bringing light to the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, writes Abhi Singhal
There are many films that take you back to the history of India’s independence, but there are some films that stay with you as a truth of life. These films serve as constant reminders of the wrath that we, as Indians, faced before independence and how Indians were not even treated as human beings.
In the same vein comes the newly released Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh on JioHotstar, starring Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan, and Ananya Panday in the lead roles.
The film’s story is a completely different story from the first chapter and has no link to it. The chapter 2 of the film sheds light on the day of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a mass killing ordered by General Dyer, who commanded his troops to open fire on the crowd.
The first few minutes of the movie portray the horror of the Jallianwala Bagh incident, and the scenes give you chills, especially since we have only read about it in books. Seeing the same depicted visually gives you drastic goosebumps.
The narrative then follows a child shown as a survivor of the incident, who later leads Akshay Kumar’s character, Justice Chettoor Sankaran Nair, to fight the case for the deceased against General Dyer. As the story progresses, Ananya Panday also joins Akshay Kumar in fighting the case, marking it as her first in her career.
If I go on with the roles portrayed by all, I feel that Akshay Kumar should be called a patriotic hero, as the actor excels in every film he does for the country. As Sankaran Nair, he delivers a powerful performance, portraying a man furious over the way Indians were treated — a performance that will give you goosebumps. Ananya Panday, as Dilreet Gill, plays a deeply emotional and layered character, complementing Akshay Kumar in all their courtroom scenes. R. Madhavan, as Advocate Neville McKinley, delivers a fiery performance, standing as a formidable rival to Sankaran Nair in the courtroom. His expressions as a clever and calculating advocate add tremendous value to the screen.
Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, with a running time of 133 minutes, Kesari Chapter 2 has powerful emotional moments, with songs like “Teri Mitti” placed perfectly in this historical drama. American actor Mark Bennington impresses in the role of General Dyer, portraying an impatient and angry Britisher who dominates Indians and treats them worse than slaves.
The cinematography is spot-on — violent enough to show the brutality and courtroom drama, and detailed enough to reflect what truly transpired. Some scenes like the one where General Dyer accepts his killing in the influence of his anger will not let you break free from the screen.
Rating: 4/5
Watch Card
(Show Information)
Screen Title: Kesari Chapter 2 (Film)
Platform Available: JioHotstar
Running Time: 2 hours 13 minutes
Genre: Historical Drama