Kesari Chapter 2 movie review: Akshay Kumar stands tall in a courtroom drama that refuses to play safe

Kesari: Chapter 2 story

The compelling story of Sankaran Nair (played by Akshay Kumar), a courageous and captivating advocate who fought a titanic legal struggle against the powerful British Empire, revealing the horrific truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, is drawn from historical accounts.

Kesari: Chapter 2 review

Back in 2021, when I watched Sardar Udham, starring Vicky Kaushal in the titular role, I believed that no film or series could top the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, as shown in the film. To be honest, still no one did! However, that film chronicled Sardar Udham's journey to the brink of self-determination, culminating in his assassination of Michael O'Dwyer in London. However, it occurred two decades after the genocide in Amritsar. 

The British hid the public crime so well that they called the massacre a fight against terrorists. Kesari: Chapter 2 delves into this aftermath in an extensive courtroom drama that has taken place in reality, led by Sir C. Sankaran Nair, played by Akshay Kumar in the film. To understand the story of the massacre, we need to know its origins.

Thus, the beginning of the film, especially the first 10 minutes, is the heinous crime that we see on the screen. Yes, it's been shown multiple times in popular culture, and it also demonstrates how it shaped the ideology of many against British rule, from Shaheed Bhagat Singh (watch The Legend of Bhagat Singh) to Sardar Udham Singh.  

However, as we have observed, a number of Indians studied overseas and assimilated into British culture during the pre-Independence era, even displaying pride and aligning themselves with the Empire. However, as many of us have heard, the Indians quickly realised that the British would always view them as slaves and nothing more. Even educating and training them to become barristers only serves to gain their support and reduce them to mere puppets. 

Kesari: Chapter 2, although it has a runtime of only two hours and fifteen minutes, gets into too much detail that might make you wonder, "Oh, is it important to the story?" Then comes a twist, which shows why it was important and how every fight against the British is interconnected when all their motto was to "divide and rule" for decades. 

The film revisits a significant historical lesson in which the Empire viewed unity as unimportant and treated every Indian like an animal. Reminding them of their race, caste, and religion when they refused to budge stoked animosity among the people. Well, after a century, it also seems like the story holds true in this country, doesn't it?

Well, in the times where the North vs South India divide has become so prominent in India, we are taken back to the time when a lawyer from Kerala, a well-educated and sophisticated man who is an all-rounder, also once raised a toast with the British and said, "Long live the King!"

Little did he know or decide to continue wearing the rose-tinted glasses; even he was surviving the racist attack at every step, but his three-piece suit and attitude don't allow him to get to a realisation. 

Well, I thoroughly enjoyed watching these mannerisms, too, with Akshay Kumar playing the part. Yes, it may come as a surprise, but his performance felt like it was long overdue. He did not rely entirely on teleprompters for delivering these lengthy dialogues.

To be honest, although Kesari: Chapter 2 talks about how the Crown was challenged at the court of law to admit that this was a well-planned genocide spearheaded by the then temporary brigadier general R. E. H. Dyer, it's entirely from the point of view of Nair and his struggles while having a never-give-up attitude.

The film is based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, who, with their extensive research, revealed how by publishing a book describing the Raj's crimes in Punjab, Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair was defamed by Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the ex-Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab and mastermind behind the notorious Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It was one of the longest trials ever witnessed, shocking a world that had now begun to comprehend the extent of the atrocities perpetrated by the British in India.

But this wasn't his fight alone! The film gradually progresses until Nair files a case against the Crown, seeking a confession that the incident was not a defence but a well-planned attack motivated by race and hatred towards Indians. The film introduces us to Dilreet Gill (Ananya Panday), who ignites the fire within Nair and takes on the role of his co-counsellor. Thankfully, the film does not limit her to a mere catalyst role. The actor does have moments to shine and she does it well while shouldering both Akshay and R. Madhavan.

The film consistently emphasises that the goal of division and control drove the British government's actions. The film includes a subplot where the opposition lawyer, Adv. Neville McKinley (played by R. Madhavan), an Anglo-Indian, is led to believe that Nair spread rumours about him being an illegitimate child. This sequence, to be honest, was quite typical of a man drowning in alcohol, as his career has gone to the dumps, and for his redemption, he is being poisoned with the thought that stems from "divide and rule." Having said that, Madhavan (who was last seen in Hisaab Barabar in Hindi) does have that charm that makes you dislike his character. However, in the name of just being a mere puppet of the Crown, the actor doesn't get much to shine as needed. 

Let's face it! An Indian vs. Indian in a courtroom during British rule doesn't come as a surprise for obvious reasons, and it didn't even happen here. But how precise they went, the film does get louder where deafening silence is not an answer to all.

Karan Singh Tyagi, who directed the film, co-wrote the screenplay with Amritpal Singh Bindra, and Sameer Saxena penned the dialogues (well, it shows!). The impact of the film is undeniable. After a very long time, a Hindi film had my eyes glued to the screen while giving me goosebumps during gut-wrenching sequences and also while making me feel that anger which the British deserve at every point in time, even after more than a century. 

Indeed, the allure of movies as an art form has faded, and they now merely serve as a business tool. Whatever the intention was to make a film on C. Sankaran Nair, a man from Kerala fighting for justice for the people of Punjab, well, it has to be said out loud and cannot be hidden in the dusted file records.

The songs are, to be honest, among the biggest drawbacks of Kesari: Chapter 2. I expected that the real sounds of claps and thumps would have had the greatest effect on the audience, not just the random placement of the songs. 

But Kesari: Chapter 2 doesn’t just deliver dialogue—it delivers justice to the eyes which have been awaiting a film that doesn't forget to entertain in the right way. The lack of jingoism is what made me even forget that the title of the film felt problematic initially. Well, we know how the true meaning has been lost in translation over the past decade.

Kesari: Chapter 2 verdict

Kesari: Chapter 2 isn’t just a courtroom drama—it’s a case of the conviction of bringing the charm of the movies as an art form back to even a minimal extent. With Akshay Kumar donning the robe of Sankaran Nair, the film raises an objection against historical amnesia and sustains it with powerful performances.