Amid a surge of historical dramas emerging from Bollywood, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions is set to release Kesari Chapter 2, a film centered on the legal aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Starring Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday, and R. Madhavan, the movie is based on The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man’s Fight for the Truth About the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, a book by Raghu and Pushpa Palat. The narrative follows the defamation case filed by Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the former lieutenant governor of Punjab and a key architect of the massacre, against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, who exposed British atrocities in Punjab through his writings.
The trailer, released on Thursday, offers a graphic depiction of the massacre, showing British troops firing on unarmed Indians, bloodied limbs, and desperate attempts to escape. The film is scheduled for release on April 18, just three days after the 106th anniversary of the tragedy. Kumar plays Nair, a lawyer fighting for justice, while Madhavan portrays a British defense counsel, and Panday steps into the role of a pioneering female lawyer.
Akshay Kumar’s use of the F-word in an earlier teaser sparked discussions, but the actor defended it, stating that the British officer’s remark calling his character a slave to the British Empire was far more insulting. Meanwhile, British MP Bob Blackman recently urged his government to formally apologize for the massacre, reigniting debates over colonial accountability.
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre remains one of the darkest chapters of British rule in India. On April 13, 1919, Brigadier General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on a peaceful gathering of thousands celebrating Baisakhi and protesting the repressive Rowlatt Act. Official estimates place the death toll between 350 and 1,200, with hundreds more left wounded and unattended. The brutality of the event, where escape routes were blocked and bullets rained down indiscriminately, symbolizes the violence of colonial rule.
Bollywood’s fascination with historical dramas has grown, but these films often face criticism for distorting facts to fit dramatic or ideological narratives. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi and Nikhil Advani’s Freedom at Midnight have drawn attention, while films like Chhaava—based on Maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj—have sparked controversy for their portrayal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Similarly, The Kashmir Files (2022) was accused of misrepresenting the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits, and Padmaavat (2018) faced backlash for its villainous depiction of Alauddin Khilji, which many historians argue was exaggerated and communalized.
Amid these debates, Akshay Kumar has confirmed a third installment in the Kesari franchise, Kesari 3, which will focus on Hari Singh Nalwa, the legendary Sikh commander who defended Punjab against Afghan invasions. Kumar emphasized his desire to showcase India’s true history, challenging what he calls the British-influenced narratives in school textbooks.
The Kesari series began in 2019 with a dramatization of the Battle of Saragarhi, where 21 Sikh soldiers held off thousands of Afghan tribesmen. The upcoming sequel shifts focus to the courtroom battle following Jallianwala Bagh, with Kumar playing C. Sankaran Nair, who fought to expose British crimes. The film has already garnered support from industry peers like Ajay Devgn, who compared Nair’s legal struggle to Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary fight.
As Kesari Chapter 2 prepares for its April 18 release, it joins a long line of Bollywood historical epics that blend fact with fiction, often stirring both admiration and controversy. Whether it will strike a balance between authenticity and storytelling remains to be seen, but its exploration of colonial injustice ensures it will be a significant addition to the genre.
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