The horrors of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre are not just a part of India’s past but a deep wound that continues to echo across generations. This powerful legacy takes center stage in Kesari 2, an upcoming historical courtroom drama by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions and Akshay Kumar’s Cape of Good Hope.
The film’s star cast — Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, and Ananya Panday — visited Amritsar for promotions, where emotions ran high as they discussed the film’s deep personal and historical relevance.
Akshay Kumar, who plays the role inspired by Sir C Sankaran Nair — a fearless lawyer and nationalist — revealed that this story is close to his heart. “My grandfather lived near Katra Ahluwalia and witnessed the aftermath of the massacre. I heard those stories from my father. So, this role feels like a personal tribute,” he shared, visibly emotional.
Based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire by Raghu Palat, great-grandson of Sankaran Nair, the film highlights a largely forgotten legal battle Nair fought to expose the British role in the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. Akshay added, “This case showed how law can shake an empire. It’s time the British acknowledge what happened.”
R Madhavan, who plays a lawyer opposing Akshay’s character, admitted he initially knew little about the story. “When Akshay brought me in, I had no idea who C Sankaran Nair was. This film was a history lesson for me,” he said, noting the irony that he, a South Indian, plays a North Indian, while Akshay, a North Indian, plays a South Indian — something he called “the beauty of Indian cinema.”
The event was also graced by Punjabi icons Gurdas Maan and Gurpreet Ghuggi, who have key roles in the film. Ghuggi stressed the need to keep the memories of the massacre alive. “Apart from a few names, the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh have been forgotten. Through films, we must ensure their sacrifices are never erased.”
Akshay and Ghuggi also launched a soulful track from the film, Kithe Gya Tu Saiyan, which serves as a haunting prayer echoing the pain of the massacre.
Music legend Gurdas Maan, calling Jallianwala Bagh “shaheedan, mureedan di dharti” (land of martyrs and faithful), lent his voice to the collective call for remembering those who gave their lives. Singer B Praak moved the crowd with a performance of Mitti, a hit track from the original Kesari, emphasizing how music and film can pass on history to younger generations.
With Kesari 2, the team hopes to spark renewed conversation about justice, memory, and the power of resistance through law and art.
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