Dharma’s creative head responds to Kesari 2 directors’s comments on film blending fact, fiction: ‘Masterclass for Philistines’

“One of my screenwriting heroes, Aaron Sorkin, once said that films based on real-life events aren’t supposed to be photographs. They can be paintings. In a painting, there’s more latitude to dramatize and express an idea,” Tyagi said in the interview. “That’s what I aimed to do. I wanted Sankaran Nair’s story to reach as wide an audience as possible. With the support of his family, my co-writers and I set out to portray a man’s journey from a British loyalist to one of India’s fiercest patriots — someone who used the power of the courts to challenge an empire.”

Mishra accompanied the post with hashtags like “Masterclass For Philistines,” and “IYKYK.” 

a man’s journey from a British loyalist to one of India’s fiercest patriots — someone who used the power of the courts to challenge an empire – @karanstyagi #KesariChapter2#MasterclassForPhilistines #IYKYK

— somen mishra (@somenmishra0) April 20, 2025

Also Read | Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review: Akshay Kumar stars in a film of its time, for its time, with dollops of patriotic fervour

The film has found fair amount of commercial traction and is being hailed by many as a comeback for Akshay Kumar, whose recent releases have mostly underperformed. Akshay is also receiving praise for his performance in the film, which has made around Rs 50 crore worldwide. That being said, it isn’t performing to the level of the first Kesari, which made over Rs 200 crore worldwide during its box office run. The two films aren’t connected, with Kesari 2 being a spiritual follow-up featuring different characters and being set against a different period in history. 

This isn’t the first time that Mishra has shared his opinion on social media. In an earlier interview, he said that sales of sex toys increased after the release of the Karan Johar-direct segment of Lust Stories. He also wrote about filmmakers sharing credits with the writers, “Be like Rohit Shetty. Be like my boss KJ. Always acknowledge your writers. Stop hogging all credits. Some directors have a terrible habit of forgetting their writers. Don’t be a d**k. A film which released on ott recently and is getting lot of love, nobody knows who has written it or the book on which it is based. Because the director remembers only him doing everything in all his interviews.”