In 1897, a Sikh regiment was stationed in the North-West Frontier Province (current day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan) comprising 21 soldiers. A part of the pre-independence British Indian army, legend states that the regiment chose to defend their base against 10,000 Afghan tribesmen, becoming an automatic example for valour. Much like the Greek legend of the Battle of Thermopylae (that served as inspiration for Zack Snyder’s 300), Kesari is expected to be Bollywood’s answer to those films about wars with frighteningly-low odds.
The sheer emphasis on saffron, one that apparently denotes ‘bravery and sacrifice’, is what some could find suspect. Also, how the film’s blood-thirsty rhetoric plays out in a time where nearly half of the country is baying for a ‘war’, is something that will be interesting. The film is generous with its use of the green screen, taking away some of the war’s visceral ‘reality’. It does lip-service secular values, but also seems to pull out all the stops while depicting the ‘villainous invaders’, who *obviously* disrespect the religion of the Sikh soldiers.
Starring alongside Akshay Kumar (in a terrible fake beard) is Parineeti Chopra, as the token female actor, in a film that otherwise comprises only men. Kesari is produced by Karan Johar and directed by Anurag Singh (of Dil Bole Hadippa fame). An earlier film, to be directed by Rajkumar Santoshi and starring Randeep Hooda, had been announced and then later shelved. Will Johar’s film be able to do justice to this incredible tale of bravery? We’ll find out.
Watch the trailer here:
Anurag Singh’s Kesari releases on March 22. Barely a month before elections, just saying.
