We give our superstars far too little credit than what they really deserve. ‘Khiladi’ ‘King of romance’ ‘Bhai’- yes they all do commercial, masala, OTT cinema really well. But with their immense experience, if given a good story and a different role, they can do wonders. When coupled with crisp direction and editing- you get something like Kesari Chapter 2, which is as hard hitting and refreshing, as it is smart. A worthy addition to the Kesari franchise.
The story, set in the Pre-Independence era, revolves around C Sankaran Nair (played by Akshay Kumar), an Indian advocate who believes that courts are all about who loses and wins, rather than who’s right and who’s wrong. A favourite with the British since he wins cases for them, he is tasked with investigating the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre which took place in Amritsar in 1919.
They expect the results to be in their favour. What he finds out leaves him numb, and he decides to sue the Crown and General Dyer for genocide.
Great buildup, impactful dialogue writing
The movie is directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, also credited as co writer along with producer (and writer) Amritpal Singh Bindra. Together, they create a compelling narrative. Free from the second half curse, which entails that a film usually dips post intermission, the pace is on point here. High points are neatly spread across the 2 hour 15 minute runtime. The sensitivity with which the entire incident has been dealt with, is admirable. Mass masala films rely on slick action and OTT sequences to evoke laughter and excitement.
Here, the dialogues do the trick. Karan, the director, builds such sequences where you can’t help but cheer as the actors deliver impactful lines. Sample: the ‘empire is shrinking’ line which Akshay Kumar delivers in the trailer as well. The dialogues thus by Sumit Saxena are on point.
Don’t mistake this film for a tearjerker though. It is meant to be rousing. It wants you to feel angry at the apology India still waits for.
Performance report card
Which brings us to the performances. Akshay gives it his all in climax of this film, likely his best scene in the entire movie. His commanding screen presence is tapped into very well by director Karan in Kesari Chapter 2. Ananya Panday as budding lawyer Dilreet Gill complements Akshay wonderfully.
There’s some scope for improvement in the emotional scenes, though. R Madhavan, as advocate Neville McKinley holds his own in front of Akshay.
Which brings us to the performances. Akshay gives it his all in climax of this film, likely his best scene in the entire movie. His commanding screen presence is tapped into very well by director Karan in Kesari Chapter 2. Ananya Panday as budding lawyer Dilpreet Gill complements Akshay wonderfully. There’s some scope for improvement in the emotional scenes, though. R Madhavan, as advocate Neville McKinley holds his own in front of Akshay.
The film’s team has been claiming that the first 10 minutes of the film should not be missed. I would say, the entire film.