 "Kesari: Chapter 2 Movie Review: A smashing comeback for Akshay Kumar; R Madhavan & Ananya Panday give their best performances")
Director: Karan Singh Tyagi
Language: Hindi
Cast: Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan, Ananya Panday
Kesari Chapter 2 is indeed a brilliant comeback movie for Akshay Kumar, where he nailed the role of the fearless lawyer, Shankaran Nair, who fought the famous courtroom battle against the British Raj and sued those responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919.
Akshay Kumar delivers the role of Shankaran Nair with utmost precision. It was this fightback case that shook the British Empire. The movie also touches upon the role played by Kirpal Singh, the freedom fighter and political activist who lost his family in the tragedy. Indeed, Kesari Chapter 2 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama that will immerse you till the end.
The story goes this way Shankaran Nair (Akshay Kumar), a senior Indian member of the Viceroy’s council and once knighted by the Empire, stood up and fought for the truth after the brutal massacre in 1919 which was nothing less than racist genocide. It was told and made to believe by all that the Sikh men who gathered at Jalianwallah Bagh were armed, when they were actually making a peaceful protest.
In the beginning Shankaran Nair (Akshay Kumar) was in favour of the British, and it shows that it was he who sent Kirpal Singh to jail on the grounds of terrorism taught in school. The movie shows how the massacre was started by General Dyer, played by Simon Paisley Day. He too nailed the role of the ruthless, insecure man Dyer was and how he took out his grudge against the Sikh kids and treated Indians as nothing less than animals. He kept the Indian men in his army right under his boots.
Initially Shankaran played by Akshay Kumar believed in the British justice system toed what the British said and that’s how the crown even made him a part of the Viceroy’s Council. It was much later that he realised that he was on the wrong side and that the British were trying to suppress facts with their power. But he changes after a young lawyer, Dilreet Gill (Ananya Panday) convinces him about the massacre of the Sikhs in the Jalianwallah Bagh tragedy caused by General Dyer. He decides to go to court to sue General Dyer.
The movie is based on the book ‘The Case That Shook The Empire: One Man’s Fight For The Truth’. As a common man, we all are aware of the tragedy, but not the case. Thankfully, the movie throws light on this infamous case fought by Shankaran Nair to give justice to the families of the Jalianwallah Bagh massacre . In brief, I would say Kesari Chapter 2 is an immensely engaging film with the brilliant performances of not just Akshay Kumar, but Ananya Pandey too. With a very steady momentum and magnificent war of words, Kesari 2 never slows down in its pace. Definitely cinematic liberty was taken, but there was nothing that was exaggerated.
In fact, Ananya Pandey is giving one compelling performance after another. She was equally brilliant in Call Me Bae and I just hope the trollers will now stop calling her ‘nepo kid’ because this young woman truly knows her craft and is a brilliant craftsman too. Regina Cassandra despite her small role, is impressive.
The best part of this movie is that the climax is not at all predictable. Yes, Shankaran Nair (Akshay Kumar) truly wins the case, but the struggles were real and extremely powerful. Equally brilliant was the performance by Neville McKinley, played by R. Madhavan, who fights the case in favour of General Dyer. Madhavan was indeed the real quirk factor in the entire film.
A deceptively likeable person in the movie, R. Madhavan nails the role of an equally brilliant lawyer. The magic about Madhavan is his subtle star power and nothing over the top. Good, bad, or ugly, he just effortlessly fits into any role. On the whole, this movie will truly give you goosebumps and make your blood boil with anger, and this is far better than 2019’s Kesari and far more gripping because of the nuanced tone of the performances. The movie doesn’t miss out on mentioning the good British men in the Royal Army who helped Shankaran Nair in fighting the case.
The writing of the film is estimable, and this chapter of the Jalianwallah Bagh tragedy needed to be told and director Karan Singh Tyagi has done a brilliant job. The message is loud and clear, “No more long live the king. We are going to roar like a lion and we need an apology from the British Empire.”
Rating: 4 out of 5
WATCH the trailer of Kesari: Chapter 2 here:
Lachmi Deb Roy is the Entertainment Editor of Firstpost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. She is a 'Rotten Tomatoes' certified critic. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes a huge interest in world cinema. She has been the winner of the prestigious Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until it's a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.