Movie Review: Kesari Chapter 2 – A Stirring Courtroom Drama That Echoes Through History
Rating: 3.5/5
Following the roaring patriotism of the 2019 Kesari, Kesari Chapter 2 shifts gears into a more somber, intellectual space, opting for a courtroom drama rooted in historical trauma. This time, the battleground isn’t a fort under siege but the echoing halls of colonial justice — and leading the charge is Akshay Kumar, portraying Justice C. Sankaran Nair, the man who dared to sue the British Empire for its role in the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Director Karan Singh Tyagi takes a bold risk by veering away from mass action sequences and instead focusing on legal warfare. It mostly pays off. The script, adapted from The Case That Shook the Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, is packed with fiery monologues, well-paced arguments, and poignant historical references. The courtroom scenes have enough gravitas to keep you engaged, even if the film sometimes slips into Bollywood’s habitual melodrama.
Akshay Kumar delivers one of his more restrained performances in recent memory. Gone is the chest-thumping patriot; in his place is a man fighting a system with his intellect, words, and convictions. R. Madhavan is compelling as the sharp, morally conflicted British lawyer, while Ananya Panday as Dilreet Gill holds her ground surprisingly well, adding a contemporary layer to a period film.
Where Kesari Chapter 2 shines is in its intent — to inform, provoke, and honor an overlooked chapter of India’s freedom struggle. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre is not re-enacted with overdone CGI or bloodshed, but with testimonies and silences that are far more unsettling.
However, the film isn’t without flaws. Some subplots — especially the personal backstories — feel forced, and historical purists might flinch at the dramatized liberties taken in certain scenes. The British characters are also a tad one-dimensional, bordering on caricature at times.
Technically, the film is impressive. Debojeet Ray’s cinematography captures the sepia-toned weight of colonial India, and the music by Shashwat Sachdev and Kavita-Kanishk duo is suitably haunting.
In the end, Kesari Chapter 2 is less about chest-beating nationalism and more about brave defiance in the face of imperial arrogance. It doesn’t aim to be a crowd-pleaser but rather a conversation starter — and for that, it earns its place in the evolving canon of Indian historical cinema.
