106 Years Ago Today: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre — Kesari Chapter 2 brings the forgotten Hero who fought back

 106 Years Ago Today: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre — Kesari Chapter 2 brings the forgotten Hero who fought back

April 13, 1919. A date etched in blood and memory. Exactly 106 years ago today, thousands of unarmed civilians gathered peacefully at Jallianwala Bagh — only to be gunned down without warning.

Now, in 2025, director Karan Singh Tyagi makes his big-screen debut with Kesari Chapter 2 — a powerful retelling of the tragedy and the courageous legal battle that followed, led by C. Sankaran Nair, the man who dared to take on the British Empire.

The film sheds light on how Sankaran Nair, a senior Indian member of the Viceroy’s council and once knighted by the Empire, stood up and fought for the truth after the brutal massacre in 1919. The story highlights how Nair proved that the massacre was not a reaction to a riot, but a calculated act — what we would today call genocide.

Director Karan Singh Tyagi believes the story is more relevant than ever. He says, "The event speaks to the present times that we live in. It's a post-truth world where fake news is rampant. I was fascinated that when people read about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, the next day, the truth was suppressed," says Tyagi.

He also points out how the British tried to silence every voice that spoke against the massacre."There were regional newspapers that wanted to report the truth, which got burned down. There's this famous poem written by a survivor called Khooni Baisakhi—the British Empire went to great lengths to ban that poem. The Empire started spreading a fake narrative... where the victims were labelled as terrorists... I think it's a fascinating story to bring to the people in 2025."

Tyagi's approach in the film is twofold — to explore what the British planned and did before and after April 13, 1919, and to examine the deeply human cost of it all. "This is the story of Sankaran Nair, who was knighted by the British Empire... For him to then take on the British in the most dramatic of ways is a story of valour. When he resigned from the council, he told the Viceroy [who can be compared to the PM today] that your empire is being run by yes-men so why don't you make the jamadar replace me."

Tyagi, a student of law and politics, was drawn to the story for its deep political and emotional layers. The film is based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire, written by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, Nair's great-grandson and his wife. Tyagi also dug deep into historical research — reading books by authors like Kim Wagner, V.N. Datta, and Kishwar Desai, along with survivor accounts and government commissions.

One of the film’s boldest arguments is that the massacre wasn’t spontaneous — it was deliberate.

"There was a plane that flew over the Bagh to check whether enough people had assembled. There were troops called in — Gurkha troops and Baluch soldiers — and the Sikh infantry was kept completely in the dark because they would be up in arms if they knew."

Tyagi recalls being deeply disturbed after watching a documentary where General Dyer's great-granddaughter defended his actions, calling the people gathered looters. "That interview really angered me. She labelled the people who came to Jallianwala as looters. The film is important because you'll be shocked to know that the empire went into overdrive after the massacre. They went to extreme lengths in order to laud General Dyer as a hero."

Despite being a star-driven film featuring Akshay Kumar, Kesari Chapter 2 began as an independent project. For Tyagi, the message is clear:

"Do you know Kesari is the colour of revolution? For us, the baton of revolution is being passed down to this story where one man is taking on the empire. Revolution seems like a big term but its essence is quite simple—standing up for what's right."

Tyagi also praises Kumar’s performance in the film and says, "He's been incredible in his support for me. I just want the audience to watch the film because I feel this is one of his best performances. He's heard stories from his grandfather, from his father. So he feels a personal connection to the tragedy."

As the film nears release, Tyagi hopes audiences walk away with one core message — best captured in the Pablo Neruda quote used in the film: "Empires perish because they listened to their lawyers and ministers and not to their poets. Empires have to listen to the common people of this country.”