Kesari Chapter 2 review: Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan are impactful in a riveting film about Jallianwala Bagh massacre

A day before Kesari Chapter 2 was released in theatres, the film’s leading hero, Akshay Kumar, who plays Sir C Sankaran Nair in the film, urged the media at the film’s premiere to not miss the film's beginning. While Kumar has a point since the first scene depicts the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in great detail- which serves as the backdrop of this courtroom drama, it still is a difficult scene to watch. 

The Jallianwala Bagh massacre has been represented in books, films, and poems for years now. The tragedy shook the Indian conscience back then and till date continues to be one of the biggest blunders that the British committed while they ruled over our country. Director Karan Singh Tyagi’s film Kesari Part 2 highlights the incidents that followed the massacre and how a certain anglicized advocate who had received Knighthood for his pro-British work changed sides and spoke up against the brutality. 

Plot of Kesari Part 2

C Sankaran Nair is a successful lawyer who is known to fight on behalf of the British in court. Awarded with Knighthood, Sir Nair is given the task of being the only Indian in the enquiry committee set up to investigate the massacre. Nair’s presence is seen as a token representation by the British, who know his allegiance lies with them. But while investigating the case, and an encounter with one of the survivors (Krish Rao), Nair suddenly realises he is on the wrong side, fighting on behalf of the oppressors. 

Along with young law college graduate Dilreet Gill ( Ananya Panday), Nair sues General Dyer – the man and the Crown, for conspiracy and genocide. Representing the British is Neville McKinley – a half-Brit and half Indian man- who accepts the case just to settle an old score with Nair. How the British Empire arm twists the jury and tries every trick in the book to save Dyer forms the rest of the story. 

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The writing of Kesari Chapter 2

A spiritual sequel of Kesari, the film is a taut courtroom drama that works for its premise, its writing, and smart performances by the actors. It has been over 100 years since General Dyer and his army ruthlessly fired at innocent people at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Since then, the tragedy has been replayed in several films and books and remains one of the most important chapters in the Indian freedom struggle. Most of us have studied in school about the tragedy and how it became a catalyst for subsequent events in the freedom struggle. Presenting such a well-documented event on screen is not easy. Sure, most of us are not aware of the case that followed, but writers Amritpal Singh Bindra and Tyagi ensure that the screenplay is riveting and engaging. Courtroom dramas, too, are tricky to write and enact, as long, drawn-out dialogues and the limited physical movement of actors can be a drag after a point. But the writing of Kesari Chapter 2 is solid and keeps the viewers hooked throughout. They keep the subplots almost minimal, which helps to keep the focus on the main plot intact for the viewers. Impactful dialogues by Sumit Saxena help the taught screenplay and the overall narrative. 

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Akshay Kumar and R Madhavan in top form

The actors are all in top form. Akshay Kumar’s stardom looms large only in the beginning when his character is introduced with a Kathakali performance. I am willing to ignore the brief Kathakali performance simply because Kumar delivers a smart, compelling performance, never going overboard with his expressions and emotions. Giving him company is R Madhavan as his rival, Neville McKinley, an angsty lawyer who wants to put Nair down with a court verdict on Dyer. The face-off between the two actors at court is well enacted, with both Kumar and Madhavan delivering smart performances.

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The women have limited scope but are equally good. Regina Cassandra plays Kumar’s supportive wife and has very limited screen time and dialogues. Ananya Panday plays a catalyst for Nair, as the spirited young lawyer Dilreet, who eventually shows her idol, Nair, the mirror about the British and their atrocities. Panday also delivers a restrained performance and is effective.  

Kesari Chapter 2 isn’t devoid of flaws, though. The end monologue of Akshay Kumar somehow seems slightly long. The usage of Punjabi music to introduce a gutsy South Indian protagonist also seems misplaced. Panday’s Victorian-style blouses and sarees sometimes shift focus from her performance. The film also plays to the gallery. The gore in the Jallianwala Bagh scene is over the top, obviously to evoke strong emotions among viewers. Then a brief interaction between Nair and Dyer in the restroom is to bring in cheer from the crowd in the theatres. But these flaws can be overlooked in a film that rides high on nationalism. Overall film wins for its story and performances. 

Final verdict

One can’t help but draw comparisons between what’s shown on screen to the present day. At one point, Nair is shown asking some pertinent questions related to General Dyer to Tirath Singh (Amit Sial), the legal advisor to Punjab Governor Michael Francis O'Dwyer. Singh misconstrues them as complaints to which Nair responds, “If my questions are interpreted as complaints, so be it.” The line holds true to this date, as often questioning the government is misinterpreted as complaints. There are also moments where it's shown how the British tried to gag the press and suppress facts after the massacre to control the crowd’s emotions. Buying and influencing the press and suppressing facts continues to date, and Kesari Chapter 2 makes you think hard on whether India, after independence, has been able to change drastically. 

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Based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, Kesari Chapter 2 may have taken a few artistic liberties here and there, but it is still very relevant and an important watch. While the massacre remains etched in our collective memory, it is important to know what happened afterwards and how Indians fought back.

Kesari Chapter 2 is not to be missed.