Kesari Chapter 2 teaser: Akshay Kumar plays C Sankaran Nair, rejects ‘slave’ label as he takes on British for Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. Watch

The scene then shifts to Akshay Kumar, who makes his entrance in the garb of a lawyer, donning a black robe. It is at this moment that the audience realizes Kesari 2 isn’t a war film but a gripping courtroom drama. Akshay’s C Sankaran Nair takes on the British, fighting to hold them accountable for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. In a tense moment, a British official warns him, “Nobody has won against the British Empire. Don’t forget, you are still a slave of the British.” Without hesitation, Akshay’s character delivers a sharp response: “F** you.”*

 

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Kesai 2 is inspired by real-life events and adapted from The Case That Shook the Empire, a book written by Raghu Palat, the great-grandson of Sankaran Nair, along with his wife Pushpa Palat.

Who was C Sankaran Nair?

C Sankaran Nair, who served as the President of the Indian National Congress in Amaravati in 1897, took a bold stand against British rule by resigning from the Viceroy’s Executive Council after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Determined to prevent such atrocities from happening again, he travelled to England, where he publicly accused Michael O’Dwyer of being responsible for the massacre in his book. O’Dwyer sued Nair for defamation in England, with the expectation that an English court would side with him. Nair essentially fought against a British man, in a British court that was presided over by a British jury.

O’Dwyer won the case with a majority of 11 against one. He wa asked to pay £500 and expense of the trial to the plaintiff. While O’Dwyer was willing to forgo the penalty if Nair tendered an apology, Nair refused to do so.

Kesari 2 will release in theatres on April 18.