'Kesari Chapter 2': Teaser of Akshay Kumar’s Spiritual Sequel Unveiled
The historical drama follows Sir C. Sankaran Nair’s legal battle against the British after the 1919 massacre.
Dharma Productions, Cape of Good Films, and Leo Media Collective have announced Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, a historical drama starring Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan, and Ananya Panday. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the film is set to release in theaters on April 18, 2025.
The film is based on The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man's Fight for the Truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, a book by Pushpa Palat and Raghu Palat, and follows lawyer and activist Sir C. Sankaran Nair’s efforts to hold the British Empire accountable after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919.
Also Read | Salman Khan on 'Sikandar' and 31-Year Age Gap With Rashmika Mandanna: 'I Will Work With Her Daughter Too'
The massacre took place in Amritsar, when Brigadier General Reginald Dyer ordered British troops to open fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians. Hundreds were killed in the walled public garden, where escape routes were blocked. Official British records put the death toll at 379, though Indian estimates suggest it was over 1,000.
A teaser for the film, released Monday, features a 30-second segment with no visuals. Gunfire and screams are heard before a British judge’s voice states, "Don’t forget that you’re still a slave to the British Empire." The filmmakers have said this approach was used because the visuals of the massacre were too disturbing to depict.
The film is produced by Hiroo Yash Johar, Aruna Bhatia, Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, and others. It is being described as a spiritual sequel to Kesari (2019), which starred Kumar as Havildar Ishar Singh and depicted the Battle of Saragarhi, where 21 Sikh soldiers fought against thousands of the Afghan army.