Kesari Chapter 2 - Movie Review (2025)

When historical portrayals are shown in their full, glorious light, they make things so lively and vivacious that our chests thump, feeling every beat of the past that made us who we are today.

This is a story of one of the most brutal periods of the Indian freedom struggle, which most of us know, and we share the common grief and anger about that monumental moment: the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. MASSACRE. The story starts with that atrocious, goosebump-inducing moment, the brutality in which thousands of innocent Indians were killed on Baisakhi. For a long time, due to the power of the British rulers, the news was suppressed. But the truth is rarely hidden for long and, after some hiccups, was taken up by the renowned barrister of those times, Chettot Shankar Nair. He, with his counsel Dilreet Gill, used the law to expose the unjust, brutal, and inhuman British Raj, who, for the lust of power and control, would go to any length to stay in control.

Akshay Kumar as Justice Chettur Shankar Nair is thumping with barristerialness. A super strong character played by Akshay. Ananya Pandey as Dilreet Gill shows her acting skills in full swing. R Madhavan as Adv. Neville McKinley is perfect in performance, giving a truly head-on advocate role opposite Akshay. I also liked the role played by Amit Sial as the assistant to the Governor of Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer.

The music by Sashwat Sachdev enhances the movie's emotions. It makes us relive history. Thanks to Karan Singh Tyagi for making such a movie without jingoistic maneuvers, yet still touching the hearts of every Indian.

This movie is a gem. It truly depicts the pain and agony our forefathers and mothers went through, their struggle because of which we live the way we do today. Whenever you think of bad situations today, think about the movie, and you will feel much better about how we are. In one scene, Sir Shankar Nair, then a council member of the Viceroy, is not allowed to enter a place because "dogs and Indians are not allowed," showing the inhumane nature of the British's brutal power. In another scene, the unity of Indians—Hindus and Muslims—as they celebrate Ram Navami together is a fear to the British in power because a united India cannot be easily controlled. The courtroom drama is awesomely played by both Madhavan and Akshay. A small scene shows Gandhiji showing praise for Shankar Nair.

I could write on and on about the movie but would still miss some things. So I urge everyone to go and watch this movie. This is a movie that all members of Parliament and all state assembly members should watch. Watch it to feel proud of the united history and culture of India, from north to south, east to west; the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 AKG RATING.