Kesari: Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar as lawyer and nationalist Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, hit theatres on April 18, bringing to screen a lesser-known yet powerful chapter from India’s freedom struggle. Directed by debutant Karan Singh Tyagi and produced by Dharma Productions, the film delves into the courtroom aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, highlighting a legal battle that challenged the British Empire’s moral ground.
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.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919, where British troops under General Dyer opened fire on a peaceful gathering in Amritsar, left hundreds dead and shocked the conscience of the world. Nair, then a judge in Madras High Court, was so deeply moved that he resigned and began publicly challenging British atrocities.
Karan Singh Tyagi, a Harvard-educated lawyer-turned-filmmaker, brings authenticity and depth to the film’s legal narrative. Tyagi’s legal background—he holds an LL.M. from Harvard and is a member of both the New York State Bar and the Bar Council of India—helped shape the nuanced courtroom exchanges between Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan, who plays a British legal officer.
Tyagi reportedly spent four years on the project, digging into historical records and survivor accounts to portray the events with accuracy. Producer Karan Johar praised the debutant’s commitment, calling him “relentless” in his efforts despite pandemic-related delays.
The film has also drawn attention for a controversial remark by General Dyer’s great-granddaughter in a documentary, which Tyagi publicly condemned, saying the comment pushed him to further pursue the story.
Akshay Kumar has called the role one of his most meaningful to date, with personal ties to the event through stories passed down by his grandfather. Tyagi hopes the audience leaves with a strong message: “Empires perish because they listened to their lawyers and ministers and not to their poets. Empires have to listen to the common people.”
With courtroom intensity, patriotic fervour, and an emotional core, Kesari: Chapter 2 aims to educate and inspire, shedding light on a story long buried under colonial history.