Akshay Kumar on Kesari Chapter 2: ‘Want to Bring Actual History to People’

Akshay Kumar on Kesari Chapter 2: New Delhi, Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar on Thursday said he wants to bring out untold stories of valor from every corner of India, including Punjab, onto the big screen as he believes that history books have mostly been written from the perspective of the British.

The latest film of the actor is "Kesari Chapter 2", which deals with an untold story related to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The film is the second installment of the "Kesari" franchise that kicked off with the 2019 film "Kesari", which dramatized the Battle of Saragarhi in 1897.

"The people of Punjab are all very brave, loyal and filled with valour. And I want to bring their stories in front of everyone. I want to make 'Kesari 3 and 4'. There are so many chapters in Punjab and in the whole of India... I want to bring out the valour, the things which India does.

Also Read: Amit Shah Cites Lalu Prasad’s 2013 Speech on Waqf Bill: ‘PM Modi Fulfilling His Wishes’

"I have done it earlier because our history books have been written according to the British. And I want to bring the actual history in front of people," Akshay said at the trailer launch event of "Kesari Chapter 2" here.

The film is being produced by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and narrates reality from the life of lawyer C Sankaran Nair, who engaged in a legal battle against the British empire in the 1920s.

The movie is based on the book “The Case That Shook the Empire” written by Nair's great grandson Raghu Palat and wife Pushpa Palat.

It tells about the 1924 defamation trial in which O'Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab and the architect of the whole Jallianwala Bagh massacre, brought a suit against Nair who had criticized the British atrocities in Punjab in his book.

Akshay said he had no knowledge regarding the trial before Raghu Palat's book.

"The book tells us so much that had happened, which we don't know about. In the history books, we read that there was a firing and General O’Dwyer said he only stopped because the bullets had finished.

"Kesari Chapter 2" is going to be released on theaters on April 18, directed by debut filmmaker Karan Singh Tyagi. It features R Madhavan and Ananya Panday."

"But the more deeper thing, we never knew about it. We never knew about the case which went on. Sankaran Nair fought the case... Let me tell you one thing, Sankaran Nair defeated their white judge in their court. And this was the only case in their rule of over 200 years that we won. It was a big thing for us."

According to the actor, who is 57 years old, he has a personal feeling about "Kesari Chapter 2."

"It's a very important film. My dad was born just opposite Jallianwala Bagh. There is a street called Katra Ahluwalia and he was born there. And my grandfather had also seen all this.

"We made this film out of anger because I listened to the stories of that incident. My dad told me, my grandfather told me," he said.

The feature film "Kesari Chapter 2," which is going to be released in theatres on April 18, is being directed by first-time feature director Karan Singh Tyagi. The film also stars R Madhavan and Ananya Panday.

Johar said the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a dark chapter in history.

"We're releasing this film in the same month in memory of those lives that were lost, the wounds that are still raw and the sadness that engulfs Jallianwala Bagh even today."

"It is yet a film that asks the British Empire for an apology through the brave narrative of Sankaran Nair... This film is about the battle fought by Sankaran Nair versus the crown," he said.

Also Read: Kareena Kapoor’s Favorite Comfort Food Revealed: ‘I Can’t Go Without Khichdi for 2-3 Days

Panday, who plays Dilreet Gill, a young and independent lawyer in the movie, said that she found a lot of resonance in her character.

"Every film that I do has pieces of me in it... I tried to channel that raw nervous energy of an upcoming lawyer... She is the only female lawyer among so many men. So that power that she got from within while she was fighting that case, I tried to channel a bit of that from my own experience of starting my career when I was 18... So I did try to take a little bit of my life from that," she said, adding that she had to learn Punjabi for the movie.

The actor said she did know much about the massacre, and there were many moments that she found unbelievable during the making.

"I had heard a lot of stories from my grandmother. I had heard a lot of stories about partition because my grandfather was separated from his father in the partition..."

"I remember when the narration happened, I was constantly asking, 'Did this really happen?' I was shocked that so much happened and we don't even know one per cent of it. So thanks to the book and thanks to the script, I got to learn a lot. I hope that people watch this movie and they learn as well," she added.

Madhavan plays the British lawyer Neville Mckinley and he said that the Jallianwala Bagh incident was genocide.

"I felt that this was a story that needed to be told. I don't think about whether it's positive or negative. I just want to convey the truth, even if it's harsh... That's when I'll know I've succeeded in my career," he added.

"Kesari Chapter 2" is written by Karan Singh Tyagi and Amritpal Singh Bindra. It is produced by Dharma Production, Kumar's Cape of Good Films and Leo Media Collective.

Also Read: Amit Shah Slams Opposition Over Waqf Bill: ‘Fear-Mongering for Vote Bank Politics’