Kesari

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

Writer/Director: Anurag Singh

Producer/s: Karan Johar

Plot: Kesari depicts one of the bravest battle fought in the history, the battle of Saragarhi (1897) in which the 21 Sikh soldiers of British Indian Army led by Havildar Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar), fought against 10,000 Afghans.

Kesari Movie Review Rating: 3.5/5 Stars (Three and a half stars)

Star Cast: Akshay Kumar, Pareeniti Chopra & a couple of dozen good-acting Sardars!

Director: Anurag Singh

What’s Good: The premise of the film captures bravery to put awake the patriot in you but here’s where some technical flaws enter to spoil their party, very well choreographed action sequences in the second half & proper usage of slo-mo footage (at places), Akshay Kumar’s bold epic portrayal of Ishar Singh.

What’s Bad: Things never settle as far as the technicalities of the movie is concerned & throughout the movie, it was a battle in my mind between me as a critic VS me as a moviegoer.

Loo Break: Maybe a single in the first half but that levels with a superb interval point as you won’t go out in the mid-break.

Watch or Not?: A definite yes if you’re a sucker for such dramas but a maybe if you’re too much into the technical aspects of the film!

User Rating:

Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar) is a true-to-the-blood Punjabi who can never bear injustice happening anywhere. In order to save an Afghani girl, who was being assassinated by her own, Ishar turns rogue to his own British master and saves her. This leads Afghans to retaliate causing a lot of damage. Ishar then gets transferred to the fort of Saragarhi which is home to the brave 36 Sikh Regiment.

On reaching Saragarhi, Ishar witnesses how no one’s disciplined and he tries to impose his own strict ways to teach them a lesson. On a bittersweet start, the regiment accepts Ishar as their leader and they start living happily until one not-so-fine day. The Afghans unite together and decide to capture the three major forts starting from Saragarhi. 21 Sikhs led by Ishar Singh face the ruthless Afghan army of 10,000.

Kesari Movie Review: Script Analysis

Based on the Battle Of Saragarhi, which was unknown till now to the majority of us, Kesari does a wonderful job in informing us about this impossible courageous battle. Everyone knew the result of this battle but still when those Sikhs were getting ready for the war, one hopes for it to end on a miracle. That’s were the makers score in the second half, to play with the patriot in you (not at all in a bad way).

There are many flaws in the movie but somewhere the regular moviegoer in me was screaming to overlook them. Dialogues could’ve been way better but still, few of them are very cleverly written. “Jung, Sarhadein sab kaarobar hai,” says an old shopkeeper in the film and that line is still resonating in my mind. From highlighting the souvenir’s of soldiers’ families to making them sing when the Afghan army is about to attack; this movie takes certain done and dusted liberties.

Kesari Movie Review: Star Performance

Akshay Kumar gives in all to the character and it pays very well. Not at all an easy role to play but this powerhouse of talent makes sure to carry the entire movie on him. He’s magnanimous in action sequences, and there’s not a single flaw about him when it comes to combat. Kesari is more than being just another feather to the memorable hat of Khiladi Kumar.

There were articles regarding Parineeti Chopra’s short role in the film & to be honest she is there for the time it was necessary. Anything more than that could’ve been just not so worthy addition to the script. She has performed her special appearance beautifully.

Kesari Movie Review Quicker: The story starts with Havildar Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar) disobeying the order of his British leader, in order to save an Afghani girl who faces injustice by her husband. The stubborn Ishar gets transferred to Saragarhi and that’s where he meets his team – 36 Sikh Regiment.

As Ishar marks his journey to Saragarhi, we are introduced to his wife Malko (Parineeti Chopra) through his imagination and a flashback sequence. First-half majorly concentrates on Ishar building up his image with his team and that’s where the screenplay dips. It takes a lot of times to come to the point and the unnecessary buildup is a spoilsport.

The pace is the major issue till now and is because of it there’s not a sturdy establishment of the connect. There are few genuinely good moments but very rarely they add something substantial to the narration. Apart from all the negatives, Akshay Kumar is amazing as Ishar Singh. The interval point is very good and that evokes a hope of an audacious second half.

It’ informative and as Akshay Kumar recently at an event said how everyone needs to know about the story. He said, “It is sad that though the British celebrate Saragarhi Day, remembering the martyrs of the war, but we Indians do not know much about it. It is sad how an incident like this has got lost in the pages of history.”

Kesari is based on the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, in which 21 Sikh soldiers of the British army fought 10,000 Afghan invaders. Directed by Anurag Singh, the film also stars actress Parineeti Chopra. It is due to release on Thursday.

Also, in feedback by you guys, I got comments on discontinuing the Review Quicker. Let’s go with the majority here, share your thoughts on any of our social media platforms convenient for you. Stick to this space for a full review!

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