Arjun Singh: A Soldier Torn Apart
Arjun Singh Akshay Kumar, in a grave contrast from his line of work, has fought in defense of a British in a war, and bears a curse of self agony for having ventured in such a line of work. His self battle was more important than his heroic deeds. In such a described scenario, a character like Arjun is bound to have his fair share of self issues, doubts and blunders.
What was more impressive was how it mirrored with Akshay’s life. Akshay was in his fifty, being scrutinized by a part of the society for taking too many patriotic roles, with no blaring difference to what he is in real life. In contrast, Arjun did not display the primitive palm punching display of nationalism. His exhaustion and layers symbolized something deeply personal. There was a feeling from critics that it was not only colonial obliteration that Akshay was touching on, it was his critiques as well that he silenced and wept for through Arjun.
Aditi: The Teacher Who Spoke for Women
Parineeti Chopra’s Aditi may have seemed secondary in promotions, but on screen, she became the emotional anchor. A teacher who smuggled banned books to her students, she represented women’s overlooked role in resistance movements. Her character wasn’t just symbolic; she had agency, leading candle marches, sheltering fugitives, and challenging even Arjun’s hesitation.
In real life, Parineeti herself was navigating a turning point. After a few box-office failures, Kesari Chapter 2 became her redemption arc. Her performance—fiery yet vulnerable—earned standing ovations in theatres. Many young viewers later shared how Aditi reminded them of their own teachers who encouraged them to question authority.
The British Villain Who Was Uncomfortably Human
The actor playing General Dyer avoided caricature. Instead of wide-eyed cruelty, he delivered cold detachment, an officer convinced he was enforcing order. This restraint made him scarier—because it reflected how atrocities often stem not from monstrous figures but from ordinary men blind to morality.
The casting was deliberate. The director wanted an actor with a history of sympathetic roles, so the audience’s discomfort would be sharper when watching him justify mass murder. It worked. Viewers admitted feeling conflicted, almost betrayed, seeing a familiar, usually warm face enact such cold violence.
How the Film Looked and Felt
Visually, the film leaned heavily into realism. The production team reconstructed Jallianwala Bagh using historical photographs and survivor accounts. Costumes were aged, streets were narrow, the colour palette muted with browns and greys. The cinematography avoided glamour—handheld cameras during the massacre placed viewers inside the chaos rather than as spectators.
What didn’t work as well was the pacing in the first half. Some critics found the early exposition heavy, with long speeches about oppression that slowed momentum. Others argued this was necessary to ground the massacre in human stories rather than statistics. Either way, the second half more than compensated, delivering an emotional punch that lingered.
The music too was restrained. Unlike Kesari’s rousing soundtrack, here the background score used silence as its strongest weapon. A solitary flute theme repeated during scenes of mourning became one of the film’s haunting signatures.
The Atmosphere Around Its Release
Before release, fan expectations bordered on feverish. Theatres sold out early shows in Punjab and Delhi weeks in advance. Politicians weighed in, some calling it a “national duty” to watch, others warning against “distortion of history.” On social media, younger audiences circulated memes about “Kesari Cinematic Universe,” half-joking about patriotic sagas as franchises.
When the film finally hit screens, reactions were intense. Older viewers wept openly, younger ones Googled the massacre for the first time. Many teachers even took students to screenings, treating it as a living history lesson. Critics had mixed reviews—praising performances and honesty but questioning dramatization choices. Yet audiences, more than critics, carried the film’s weight, turning screenings into community experiences rather than just entertainment.
The Shadows Behind the Camera
What audiences rarely heard was how grueling the shoot had been. The massacre scene was filmed over 18 days in peak summer, with hundreds of extras fainting in the heat. Akshay Kumar reportedly refused his luxury vanity van during these sequences, choosing to sit with the extras to share their discomfort, believing it would help him channel Arjun’s anguish.
Parineeti faced her own hurdle: she suffered a ligament injury during a stampede sequence but continued shooting after minimal rest, fearing her scenes would be cut otherwise.
There was also controversy about the script. Historians consulted on the film walked out at one stage, unhappy with the inclusion of certain fictional subplots, especially a rumored love angle. The director eventually toned down these parts, though not without heated debates with the producers.
Another behind-the-scenes nugget: the British actors cast as soldiers struggled with the emotional toll. Several admitted they felt guilty performing the massacre, apologizing to extras after takes. One even broke down during rehearsals, forcing the crew to pause.
When Reel Met Real
What made Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh linger wasn’t just its recreation of history but its fusion with the actors’ own lives. Akshay’s aging resilience, Parineeti’s need for a comeback, the extras’ exhaustion under the Amritsar sun—all blended to create a film that felt more lived than performed.
The hype before release had promised a bold retelling. What audiences got was something heavier: a reminder of wounds that never fully healed, delivered through performances rooted as much in real struggle as in script.
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