Kesari Chapter 2 director on how Ananya Panday was roped in for Akshay Kumar's film: 'It was after watching...'

Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, has been performing decently at the box office. Starring Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, and R. Madhavan, the film focuses on the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre and lawyer C. Sanakaran Nair's legal battle against the British Empire to uncover the truth behind the genocide. The cast has been getting positive reviews from fans, and amid this, in a new interview, the filmmaker shared why he chose Ananya for the film. 

Karan Singh Tyagi on casting Ananya Panday in Kesari Chapter 2

In Kesari Chapter 2, Ananya Panday played the role of Dilreet Gill, a lawyer, who supported Akshay Kumar's C. Sankaran Nair. Sharing how and why he cast Ananya in the film, Karan told News18 Showsha, “I remember watching Gehraiyaan and I was moved by her performance in it. It was after watching that film that I met her and offered her the role of Dilreet Gill. I’ve to say that she’s remarkable in Kesari Chapter 2 and has put in so much hard work."

Revealing Ananya's preparation for the role, the filmmaker said that she took dialect classes for over a year. She studied the code of conduct for women lawyers. They also visited the Bombay High Court, where the actress saw a woman lawyer practicing in action.

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Karan also revealed, “She read a lot of literature on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. In fact, there’s a book where people have written several poems on the massacre and tragedy. That book, kind of, became her Bible. She would carry that book on the set."

Further praising Ananya, the filmmaker added that she imbibed the role of Dilreet Gill so well, and the actress has a mix of vulnerability and steely resolve. "She brought that out and exhibited them beautifully," he said. 

Karan Singh Tyagi reacts to hate comments towards Ananya Panday

Responding to the hate comments on social media that targeted Ananya, Karan said that the audience has given her character so much love that he would like to look at the positive. 

"Two days ago, there was a screening in Hyderabad. Some people sent me videos from there. The audience was clapping at her entry scene. She was one female lawyer in a room filled with men. And that in itself is the perfect response to all the negative comments," he shared. 

Reacting to the social media hate in general, Tyagi admitted that he is in for dissent and criticism because that allows you to learn. "But I see very unnecessary hate on social media today, which tends to become toxic certain times. It’s tragic! This is the ill-effect of social media and we’ve to learn to live it with," he said. 

More about Kesari Chapter 2

Meanwhile, Kesari Chapter 2 stars Akshay Kumar as a lawyer, C. Sankaran Nair, R. Madhavan as a lawyer for the British side, Neville McKinley, and Ananya Panday as a lawyer, Dilreet Gill, who supported Nair. 

The film has been performing well at the box office and it received a lot of love from fans, critics, and celebrities.