106 Years Of The Jallianwala Bagh Bloodbath — How Akshay Kumar’s ‘Kesari Chapter 2’ brings the story of the forgotten hero who fought again

April 13, 1919. A date etched in blood and reminiscence. Precisely 106 years in the past immediately, hundreds of unarmed civilians gathered peacefully at Jallianwala Bagh — solely to be gunned down with out warning.

Now, in 2025, director Karan Singh Tyagi makes his big-screen debut with Kesari Chapter 2 — a robust retelling of the tragedy and the brave authorized battle that adopted, led by C. Sankaran Nair, the person who dared to tackle the British Empire.

The movie sheds gentle on how Sankaran Nair, a senior Indian member of the Viceroy’s council and as soon as knighted by the Empire, stood up and fought for the reality after the brutal bloodbath in 1919. The story highlights how Nair proved that the bloodbath was not a response to a riot, however a calculated act — what we might immediately name genocide.

Director Karan Singh Tyagi believes the story is extra related than ever. He says, “The occasion speaks to the current instances that we stay in. It’s a post-truth world the place faux information is rampant. I used to be fascinated that when individuals learn concerning the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, the following day, the reality was suppressed,” says Tyagi.

He additionally factors out how the British tried to silence each voice that spoke towards the bloodbath.“There have been regional newspapers that wished to report the reality, which acquired burned down. There’s this well-known poem written by a survivor known as Khooni Baisakhi—the British Empire went to nice lengths to ban that poem. The Empire began spreading a faux narrative… the place the victims had been labelled as terrorists… I believe it’s a captivating story to convey to the individuals in 2025.”

Tyagi’s strategy within the movie is twofold — to discover what the British deliberate and did earlier than and after April 13, 1919, and to look at the deeply human price of all of it. “That is the story of Sankaran Nair, who was knighted by the British Empire… For him to then tackle the British in probably the most dramatic of the way is a narrative of valour. When he resigned from the council, he informed the Viceroy [who can be compared to the PM today] that your empire is being run by yes-men so why don’t you make the jamadar substitute me.”

Tyagi, a scholar of legislation and politics, was drawn to the story for its deep political and emotional layers. The movie relies on the e book The Case That Shook the Empire, written by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, Nair’s great-grandson and his spouse. Tyagi additionally dug deep into historic analysis — studying books by authors like Kim Wagner, V.N. Datta, and Kishwar Desai, together with survivor accounts and authorities commissions.

One of many movie’s boldest arguments is that the bloodbath wasn’t spontaneous — it was deliberate.

“There was a aircraft that flew over the Bagh to verify whether or not sufficient individuals had assembled. There have been troops known as in — Gurkha troops and Baluch troopers — and the Sikh infantry was saved utterly at midnight as a result of they’d be up in arms in the event that they knew.”

Tyagi recollects being deeply disturbed after watching a documentary the place Basic Dyer’s great-granddaughter defended his actions, calling the individuals gathered looters. “That interview actually angered me. She labelled the individuals who got here to Jallianwala as looters. The movie is vital since you’ll be shocked to know that the empire went into overdrive after the bloodbath. They went to excessive lengths with the intention to laud Basic Dyer as a hero.”

Regardless of being a star-driven movie that includes Akshay Kumar, Kesari Chapter 2 started as an impartial venture. For Tyagi, the message is evident:

“Are you aware Kesari is the color of revolution? For us, the baton of revolution is being handed all the way down to this story the place one man is taking up the empire. Revolution looks like a giant time period however its essence is kind of easy—standing up for what’s proper.”

Tyagi additionally praises Kumar’s efficiency within the movie and says, “He’s been unbelievable in his help for me. I simply need the viewers to look at the movie as a result of I really feel that is certainly one of his finest performances. He’s heard tales from his grandfather, from his father. So he feels a private connection to the tragedy.”

Because the movie nears launch, Tyagi hopes audiences stroll away with one core message — finest captured within the Pablo Neruda quote used within the movie: “Empires perish as a result of they listened to their legal professionals and ministers and to not their poets. Empires must hearken to the frequent individuals of this nation.”