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Newcomer Karan Singh Tyagi has made an impressive debut into Bollywood with his directorial, 'Kesari Chapter 2', a historical courtroom drama headlined by Akshay Kumar, alongside R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday.
The film, which sheds light on the untold aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, has struck a chord with audiences and is already making its presence felt at the box office. In a conversation with ANI, Tyagi traced his journey from Meerut to Mumbai, revealing how his father instilled in him a deep love for cinema. "I grew up watching films by Rajkumar Santoshi films like Damini. That passion for large-scale human drama shaped my approach to filmmaking," he shared. The seed for 'Kesari Chapter 2' was planted when Tyagi came across a compelling book titled 'Case That Shook the Empire', authored by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, descendants of C. Sankaran Nair, the central figure of the film. "The book uncovered layers of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy rarely discussed. It wasn't just a massacre, it was a planned political act," said Tyagi. Intrigued, he partnered with co-writer Amrit, founder of Leo Media Collective, to adapt it into a screenplay. Their script caught the attention of Karan Johar, who came on board as producer. Soon after, Akshay Kumar too aligned with the project, impressed by its powerful narrative. "He loved how we honoured both the victims of the massacre and the courage of Sankaran Nair," Tyagi said. Filming wasn't easy. The project demanded extensive historical research and accuracy in recreating the 1920s British courtrooms. "We started writing in 2020 and began filming in 2022. It took nearly three years of deep research and location scouting. But we knew this story had to be told with sensitivity and authenticity," he shared. Tyagi also praised Akshay Kumar's commitment to the role. "He gave countless hours to script readings and was always full of questions, about courtroom mannerisms, about Sankaran Nair's ideology. He even read Gandhi and Anarchy to better understand the character," he recalled. The film opened in cinemas to a promising start, collecting Rs 7.84 crore nett on Day 1. According to trade analyst Taran Adarsh, the film has outperformed many of Akshay Kumar's recent content-driven films. "Compared to the opening of Mission Raniganj, Sarfira, and Khel Khel Mein, Kesari Chapter 2 has done significantly better, especially considering its limited release strategy," Adarsh noted in an earlier post on his social media handle. Audiences, too, have been vocal. Tyagi described the most moving praise he received, "My assistants sent me videos of audiences clapping during the courtroom scenes, when Sankaran Nair confronts the British. That emotional connect with the audience means everything to me." Produced under Dharma Productions, 'Kesari Chapter 2' is currently screening in theatres across the country. (ANI)
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