'Kesari Chapter 2' Vs History, What Akshay Kumar's Film Got Right And Wrong About The Real Story

Kesari Chapter 2 sheds light on one of the darkest phases of Indian history. So, it wasn't surprising that the film starring Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday and R Madhavan became one of the most talked about films of the year. Kesari Chapter 2's recent release on JioHotstar has reignited the debates surrounding the film.

The historical courtroom drama is based on a book, The Case That Shook The Empire, which is based on the writer's great-grandfather, C. Sankaran Nair (played by Akshay Kumar) and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919. Though based on historical events, its director, Karan Singh Tyagi, admitted taking creative liberties to make it engaging for a wider audience. If you are keen to know what are the historical facts and fictional elements in the film, here is a breakdown of some key points to understand it.

#1. World War 1, timing and casualties in the massacre 

Kesari Chapter 2 starts by explaining how the British promised they would grant India some sort of self-governance if they helped them in World War 1. But after 1.3 million soldiers fought and 74,000 lost their lives (as per BBC) British went back on their promise, which created an anguish against them. This fact is correctly mentioned.  

According to India Today, the film states that the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place in the evening at 5:30, but the real records show that it began at 4:30, which is a minor discrepancy in the film. At the same time, it claims that the British admitted that 1650 people were killed, and other figures from hospitals came around an estimate number of 10,000. However, in reality, the British officials stated that only 379 individuals were killed.

#2. Composition of firing, C. Sankaran Nair's knighthood and Kirpal Singh 

Kesari Chapter 2 debates that nearly 100 Gurkha, Sikh and Baloch soldiers were part of General Dyer's squad that opened fire on the innocents in Jallianwala Bagh. It's partially correct, as Dyer commanded nearly 100 soldiers. But, in reality, it was Gurkhas who opened the fire and not a mixed group. Also, the film shows that C. Sankaran Nair received his knighthood around the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, which took place in 1919 after he won a trial to get a revolutionary poet, Kirpal Singh, arrested. But in reality, he was knighted in 1912, long before these events. 

#3. C. Sankaran Nair fought a libel case, not a genocide case 

Kesari Chapter 2 mainly builds up the context around a genocide case filed by Ananya Panday's character 'Dilreet Gill' and Akshay Kumar's C. Sankaran Nair. However, when compared to reality, it is a blend of two historical events: the Hunter Commission's hearings and then Lt. Governor of Punjab, Michael O'Dwyer's defamation lawsuit against C. Sankaran Nair, which took place in England and not India, as shown in the film. The film showcases that Sankaran Nair took General Dyer to court, which never happened. 

#4. C. Sankaran Nair didn't win a case against General Dyer 

General Dyer and the British authorities were called out by the Hunter Commission and relieved from his duties in 1920. Whereas, Sankaran Nair published a book, Gandhi and Anarchy, where he criticised Mahatma Gandhi's non-cooperation and, in the midst, mentioned that Michael O'Dwyer was completely aware of the atrocities that took place in Punjab. When the latter asked Sankaran Nair to apologise for blaming him, he refused, which began a libel case, and Sankaran Nair lost it. However, the high-profile case made people in India and abroad aware of the deadly and inhumane massacre which took place in Amritsar. 

#5. Ananya Panday and R Madhavan play fictional characters in the film 

Ananya Panday plays the role of a female lawyer 'Dilreet Gill' who fights the genocide case against General Dyer with C. Sankaran Nair. But in reality, there is no mention of any 'Dilreet Gill' in The Case That Shook The Empire, which means it could be fictional. At the same time, R Madhavan's 'Neville McKinley' is a fictional character who is inspired by a group of several real-life British-educated Indian lawyers who defended the British Crown against critics like Sir Sankaran Nair. 

#6. C. Sankaran Nair didn't fight the case himself 

C. Sankaran Nair represented the genocide case against General Dyer in the film. But, in reality, despite being one of the most renowned jurists, C Sankaran Nair didn't fight his libel case. He was represented by Wilson and Company Solicitors and Walter Schwabe as his counsel. On the other hand, Michael O'Dwyer was represented by Ernest Charles. However, as rightly shown in the film, most of the local people in Amritsar were scared and didn't come up to testify from his side. At the same time, as shown in the film, the judge of the case was McCardie.

While Kesari Chapter 2 does take some dramatic liberties which stray from factual records with some historical accuarcy, it did managed to create an awareness around the inhuman killings of innocents at Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Next Read: Kesari Chapter 2: Meet CS Nair, Celebrated Lawyer Played By Akshay Kumar Who Rattled British Empire

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)