A tale of justice delayed but not denied

There have been many movies on the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre in India in 1919 – the latest Akshay Kumar starrer Kesari 2 has once again ignited emotions of pain, anger and patriotism.

More than 1000 people were killed in the massacre after British General Dyer ordered army troops to open fire on a crowd of civilians rallying in a park. Though the British tried to suppress details, enough pressure had been built to bring forth a proper answer.

That’s history, and then there’s Kesari 2. At the film’s centre is Sankaran Nair (Akshay), a respected Malayali lawyer who was part of the Executive Council. To make him the ‘pet’ of the empire, he was also bestowed with Knighthood. With time, he was troubled by the events in Punjab that led him to fight a case against the ‘Crown’ where he blamed Dyre for the genocide.

The film is inspired by The Case That Shook the Empire, co-authored by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat – descendants of Sankaran Nair. Set against the backdrop of post-massacre colonial India, it follows Nair’s defamation case against Michael O’Dwyer, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, after Nair criticised British actions in his 1922 book Gandhi and Anarchy. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the film takes its base from the book and takes creative liberty to make it more dramatic.

It is difficult to think of a any mainstream actor in a comedy role and Akshay Kumar has always excelled in it. However, without any doubts of him as a good comedy actor we have very little roles of Kumar where he matches the aura of a serious pain-stricken man. And that is what he does so diligently with the character of Nair in the movie. There has been a clear change in his character and dialogue delivery as the narrative progresses.

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, though the incessant ‘F’ word slur seemed a bit exaggerated.

Sharing the screen alongside Akshay is R Madhavan, who portrays Advocate Neville McKinley, representing the British Crown. Ananya Panday plays the pivotal role of Dilreet Gill, a key supporter in Nair’s legal battle. Both the co-stars put a strong performance, though Madhavan could have been given more screen time. Although his character is interesting, he remains mum during the crucial pre-climax and climax sequences. A more engaging climax might have done wonders for the movie.

Director Karan Singh Tyagi’s choice to turn a historically significant event into a courtroom drama is commendable. The way he blended the courtroom drama format with a historical context pushes the narrative forward in an interesting manner.

The background score by Sashwat Sachdev added intensity to a few crucial scenes while the solid cinematography poignantly captured the essence of a bygone era. The editing was equally tight and special credit must go to the tight script and screenplay.

While the film raises patriotic feelings among the Indian populace, along with contempt for the condemnable British Raj, it also carries an unnecessary item song (who asked for it?), despite the fast pace which arouses tension, suspicion, and anxiety in every frame.

Genre: Period, Drama
Starring: Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, Ananya Panday
Rating: ***