Ayisha Patnaik

Kesari’Anurag Singh directed film starring Akshay Kumar tells a story of heroism and (of) 21 brave hearts which was partially forgotten by some of us. It showcases the Battle of Saragarhi, it is set in 1897, in the North-West Frontier Province, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Akshay Kumar is playing the character of military commander Havildar Ishar Singh who leads a contingent of 21 Sikh soldiers. The first poster of this movie was released on 12th September 2018, which is widely known as Sarigarhi day. Every scene in the movie is a harbinger of societal issues and put across some messages to do away with them. The movie starts with violence against an Afghan woman where Ishar Singh (Akshay) sets out to save her by disobeying commands from the British officer.On this Ishar Singh receives racist abuse from the officer saying that “ Tum Gulam ho, Hindustan ki mitti se darpok paida hote hai” this arouses a feeling of utter anguish in him which is well evident from his eyes swirling out of hurt, aches, and anger. This movie also depicts the importance of discipline. Despite linguistic clashes between British officers and Indian sepoys, they protect the forts from Afgan invasion by following the commands(an outcome of disciplined action). As a part of the punishment, Iswar Havildar Singh is transferred to Sarigarhi fort. On his first dayin Sarigarhi fort, he witnesses 36th Sikh regiment consisting of 21 defiant sepoys. Ishar Singh turns 21 defiant sepoys into braver and more disciplined soldiers by his kindness, good intention, and the big human heart. One of many heart-stirring scenes, a scene where civil Sikhs build a mosque for Afgan locals and in reward the old, feeble lady gives each one of the Sikh sepoys an almond depicting the true, heartfelt warmth of a mother which knows no boundary, no religion, no caste, no animosity. Afghan tribe decides to attack Sarigarhi Fort, Gulistan and Lockhart fort eventually. As the Afgan troop sets out for the attack and marches towards theSarigarhi fort, Ishar Singh and his regiment are taken aback for a while but then they decide to fight for freedom, not for British. Ishar shifts his character from an obedient sepoy to a heroic freedom fighter. He comes out to fight for his country wearing a Kesari turban; Kesari the color of bravery, heroism, and valor. He erupts as an invincible fire and his words “ Aaj meri pagdi bhi kesari, jo bahega wo lahu bhi Kesari aur mera jawab bhi Kesari” are definitely a profound spark arouser. This shows that with the right attitude and confidence impossible becomes possible. By dint of grit and determination, everything is achievable.The never give up attitude of 21 Sikh sepoys shakes the nerve of Afgan’s troops and erodes their strategy. Timely Ishar’s murmur “ Chal Jhootha “ to Afghan Mullah Syedullah is criticallyand ironically plausible. Throughout the movie, Akshay’s prowess and Anshul Chobey’s relentless cinematography would keep you teetering on the brink. The only quibble about this movie is that womanish sharpshooter who pops in out of nowhere,and attacks. His mysterious appearance is unrelatable. He is the only misfit in the entire plot. Last but not the least the songs and the background music are absolutely complementing and enhance the essence of the movie to the next level. The dialogues are well written and well delivered by each of the cast. In a nutshell, this movie is a remarkable amalgam of heroism, drama, wit, humor, sarcasm.