Movie Review : Kesari

Forgotten Reality of Indian Mettle!

 Kesari

We live in fortunate times where our scope and sphere are unlimited. The lost stories of our History that rust in dust are now screaming of its well-deserved glory. Patriotism in films is at its high. The content era is here. Kesari is content that can intensify emotions, sour heartbeats and waterworks at the end. However, the resurrection of the Hand combat battle is a time travel experience to it’s reality. That being said is not the only part of the movie that compels your body to sweat in the Air conditioning. Each character has its bravery transcend heroism making fictional super heroes look like play toys. There are scenes that engross your brain to the intensity of ignorance to the gore, however according to me Director Anurag Singh manages to balance this aspect to not let it look like gore and yet give the audience the exact virtual experience of the brutality suffered by the 21 brave soldiers of the 36 Sikh Regiment of the British Army in India. This battle is a tale of 21 Sikh Soldier’s willing decision to fight to the last to prevent the Afghani Afridi/Orakazi tribe that attacked the fort of Saragarhi with strength of about 10000-12000 men.

Kesari does carry the emotional elements to connect the audience to the human and emotional side of these Sikh men. The makers have tried to put few logical elements that may have influenced the invasion of this fort, but have missed the adequate impact, however the script is quite moving and does not have repetitive slogan or band wagon of patriotic upliftment. The satire has few hits and few misses. The Romantic angles are just case building, seemingly filling the reel time. Kesari could have been kept short and simple with merit in its content and absolute accuracy of its recorded event in the history. The extra parts are the safety commercial nets with an obvious section of Indian cinema audience that resonates with it. With Akshay Kumar as the lead Kesari as Havildar Ishar Singh is and undoubted winner. The fierce hand combat battle is an excellent piece and gives the audience glimpse of how Havildar Ishar Singh’s mental strength would have made him command a battalion of 21 soldiers to fight a battle with an obvious outcome against the invading 10000 men. There would have been simply no one else bringing Havildar Ishar Singh back to life on silver screen other than Akshay Kumar.  He justifies the other aspects of the character of a Jat Singh. The bravery of each soldier is depicted well and is compelling that one would want to look beyond the adjective called “Brave” and “confidence” for them.

This chapter out of our glorious history that our army has been so long demanding the government to include in our history text books seals their demand. The movie deserves the watch for its story which is made to provide the virtual experience of the never seen bravery and confident minds of soldiers to end the enemy at all costs is not even imagined in fiction. The documented claim of 21 soldiers killing at least 180 men of the enemy with only basic weapons is bravery beyond the realm of mind's eye. It is not a tale but an outcome of an intensified brave mind and souls that succeeded in its toughest ask. I strongly Implore to let it live and bask in the glory it deserves.