Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, Ananya Panday
Director: Karan Singh Tyagi
Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Synopsis:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 is the story of a man who shook the foundations of the British empire. On April 13, 1919, a group of protesters assemble peacefully at the Jallianwalla Bagh, Amritsar to protest against the Rowlatt Act. General Dyer (Simon Paisley Day) reaches the spot with his armed troops and instructs them to fire at the people without warning. It leads to the loss of hundreds of lives. The press is censored from talking about it. The official version given is that the protestors were armed and hence, General Dyer had to open fire. To calm down the criticism, the British government puts together an enquiry commission. Sir C Sankaran Nair (Akshay Kumar) is the only Indian in this commission. Though he’s an Indian, he believes in the British justice system. He’s such a devout servant of the Crown that the government has even made him a part of the Viceroy’s Council. He begins the inquiry and realizes that the British are trying to suppress facts. A chance meeting with a young revolutionary boy, Pargat Singh (Krish Rao), changes his viewpoint. He further has a change of heart when he talks to a law student, Dilreet Gill (Ananya Panday). Hence, he decides to go to Court and sue General Dyer for genocide. In an unexpected move, the Crown appoints Neville McKinley (R Madhavan) as the defence lawyer. Sankaran and Neville have a rough past and the latter is all set to hit back at the former through this case. What happens next forms the rest of the film.
Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Story Review:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 is based on the book ‘The Case That Shook The Empire: One Man’s Fight For The Truth About The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre’ by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat. Karan Singh Tyagi and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s story is incredible. Many are aware of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre but not about the case. Karan Singh Tyagi and Amritpal Singh Bindra’s screenplay moves at a decent pace and is replete with riveting dramatic and confrontational moments. Sumit Saxena’s dialogues are arresting.
Karan Singh Tyagi’s direction is uncomplicated, though he uses a back-and-forth narrative in the beginning. At a basic level, it’s a hero vs villain story. The hero is fighting a gigantic antagonist who has the full support of an unjust system. Hence, one can’t help but get disgusted by the villain and root for C Sankaran Nair all along. A few scenes that stand out are Sankaran Nair being stopped for accessing the courtyard as ‘dogs and Indians are not allowed’, Shankaran’s visit to Pargat and Dilreet filing the case with Shankaran’s sudden appearance at the court. Post-interval, the Martha Stevens track is very memorable. The climax might seem predictable and yet, it packs a punch. The film ends on an exhilarating note.
Kesari Chapter 2 – Official Trailer | Akshay Kumar | R. Madhavan | Ananya Panday | Karan S Tyagi
On the flipside, it’s strange that C Sankaran Nair, until the massacre, fully believed the British justice system and he never had any doubts about them. The courtroom drama follows a set template and hence, one might anticipate where the film is moving. Moreover, it’s an urban film and doesn’t offer much to the masses. The ‘A’ rating is also unwarranted for. Ideally, a film like this should have been awarded a U/A rating for a wider reach.
Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Performances:
Akshay Kumar delivers a stupendous performance. His change of heart and also the way he mouths powerful lines in the court make for a great impact. Ananya Panday proves her worth, especially during the Martha Stevens track and when she meets C Sankaran Nair at the railway station. R Madhavan has a late entry but dominates some of the scenes in the second half. Regena Cassandrra (Parvathy Nair) is wasted. Simon Paisley Day plays his part with perfection and steals the show with his villainous act. Krish Rao has an important part and he leaves a huge mark. The same goes for Amit Sial (Tirath Singh). Steven Hartley (Judge McArdie), Sammy Jonas Heaney (Harold Laksi; jury member), Mark Bennington (Michael O’Dwyer), Alexx O’Nell (Lord Chelmsford), Rohan Verma (Jaan Nisar), Alexandra Moloney (Martha Stevens), Jaipreet Singh (Kirpal Singh) and Luke Kenny (Appeal court judge) also do very well.
Kesari Chapter 2 movie music and other technical aspects:
KESARI CHAPTER 2 hardly has any songs. ‘O Shera’ is memorable but a film like this deserved a hit soundtrack considering that KESARI’s [2019] songs are remembered even today. Shaswat Sachdev’s background score is very arresting.
Debojeet Ray’s cinematography is appropriate. Rita Ghosh’s production design and Sheetal Iqbal Sharma’s costumes are reminiscent of the bygone era. Futureworks’ VFX is top-class. Florian Hotz and Sunil Rodrigues’ action is disturbing but it’s the requirement of the script. Nitin Baid’s editing is slick.
Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review Conclusion:
On the whole, KESARI CHAPTER 2 is a hard-hitting courtroom drama and works due to the performances and treatment and also because it tells an untold and shocking chapter of Indian history. At the box office, it will need a strong word of mouth to sustain and emerge as a profitable venture. The adults only rating might restrict its business to some extent.