15 April 2025 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Jallianwala Bagh massacre is not just a part of our history but a symbol of how pain and trauma can be felt across the generations. The starkest example of colonial violence and oppression, the massacre and its aftermath serves as a central subject of Kesari 2, a film helmed by Karan Johar’s Dharma productions and Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Hope.
The star cast of the film, including Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Ananya Panday, was in Amritsar on a promotional tour.
Akshay, who plays the character based on Sir C Sankaran Nair, distinguished lawyer and nationalist, said that this film is personal. “My grandfather lived in Katra Ahluwalia. He was among those to witness the aftermath of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. I grew up listening to the stories of martyrs from my father. So, bringing out the story of a man, who was no ordinary critic of the British and brought down the empire through law, was really like life coming full circle,” said Akshay, who looked sombre as he talked about his film.
Kesari 2 retells the story of Sir C Sankaran Nair, a civil rights advocate from the time of Indian freedom movement, through the lens of the book, The Case That Shook The Empire, written by his great-grandson Raghu Palat. “The film presents a story that was forgotten in history. Not many people know about the case that Nair fought against the British, in an attempt to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre,” said Akshay. Reacting to the recent statements made by Caroline O Dawyer, the great granddaughter of General O Dawyer, calling ‘people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919 as looters’ in a 2019 documentary, Akshay said, “There will be a day when the British would say ‘Sorry’ themselves about what happened here in 1919.”
‘I feel guilty that I did not know Sir Nair’
R Madhavan, the brilliant actor and master of his craft, will be playing a lawyer who challenges Akshay’ s character in the film, which is also a high voltage court room drama. Madhavan shared how he was a reluctant member of the cast initially.” When Akshay got me on board, I had no clue who C Sankaran Nair was and what his case against the British was. The film was a learning experience in that way.”
His most interesting aspect of working in Kesari 2, he said, was, “I am from South India and play a North Indian character and Akshay, a North Indian, plays a South Indian character. I think this is beauty if our film industry.”
“Jallianwala Bagh is personal for Punjabis”
Accompanying the Kesari 2 team were music legend Gurdas Mann and Gurpreet Ghuggi, who Akshay credited with bringing Kesari 2 alive. Sharing his views on taking up the forgotten narratives of martyrs and history of Punjab, Ghuggi said, “Barring a few names, history has not been kind to martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. We need to retell their stories, keep the eternal flame at Jallianwala Bagh alive forever and connect young generation through cinematic storytelling.”
He along with Akshay also launched another song from the film, Kithe Gya Tu Saiyan, a poignant prayer for help and hope lost when the Jallianwala Bagh became a graveyard of innocent lives.
Gurdas Maan, who was the guest of honour, called Jallianwala Bagh ‘shaheedan, mureedan di dharti” (a land of martyrs, disciples of nationalism). Singer B Praak performed Mitti, the evoking super-hit number from Kesari as he shared why it’s is important to share these stories of unsung heroes with younger generation.
Summary: Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, and R. Madhavan visit Amritsar, offering prayers at the Golden Temple and Jallianwala Bagh ahead of the Kesari Chapter 2 release.