Shashi Tharoor Lauds Kesari 2, Jokes About A 'Certain Four-Letter Word Shankaran Nair Would Never Use'

News18

27-04-2025

Shashi Tharoor praised Akshay Kumar's Kesari 2 for its high-quality production and storytelling, highlighting its message about British atrocities and the need for an apology.
Indian National Congress MP Shashi Tharoor recently shared his take on Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan and Ananya Panday's Kesari: Chapter 2. The politician lauded the film, emphasising that it was 'well-crafted". Speaking about the F-word used by Akshay Kumar in the film, Tharoor playfully mentioned that though Sir Chettur Shankaran Nair would never use it, the message and the intent of the makers came across loud and clear.
Shashi Tharoor praised Kesari 2 and said, 'It [The makers] took some liberties with historical facts but it says in the very beginning that it's fiction. But what it did was capture the spirit of resistance, especially using the instruments of the British court system."
He continued, 'But the message of the film was brilliantly done. It was a very high-quality production. The acting, direction, the way the story unfolded, everything was so compelling. There wasn't a single dull moment. I was worried that many people were seeing courtroom scenes which might not be so compelling but the way the story came out, it was impossible to turn away your eyes for one second."
During a segment of Kesari: Chapter 2, Akshay as fearless lawyer C Sankaran Nair is seen in a British courtroom where a judge says, 'Don't forget you're still a slave of the British Empire." To this, Nair sharply replies, 'F* you." Tharoor mentioned this on a lighter note, and added that he has been a huge admirer of Nair. 'I am fan of Sir Chettur Shankaran Nair for a long time and I, in fact, 8 years ago, in Thiruvananthapuram, I delivered a speech where I was talking about his life and achievements. Though some of this romanticises him in a very positive way, I think the fact that he was a man of courage, principle and integrity, comes through. He would never use some of the words Akshay Kumar uses, particular a certain four-letter word, I can tell you for sure (laughs), but the spirit, the message and some of the clever ways the message was allowed to come across was extremely well-done."
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Tharoor further referenced his book and said that the film delivers a core message – the British Empire never really apologised for their barbaric act. 'We need films to remind people of some of the atrocities that were inflicted in Jallianwala Bagh in particular of the British Raj. I wrote my book about the empire, Inglorious Empire, and when I did a book tour in the UK, the point I made very strongly was the need for an apology for the massacre. And I am glad that at the end of the film, they made the point in the screen that the one thing the British have never done is say sorry," he said.
The author-politician also mentioned, 'On the 100th anniversary in 2019, the Prime Minister did speak in the House of Commons but what all she said was that they regret the events they did. That's not the same as an apology and this film is a reminder to the British and to all of us that an apology is still due."
He summed up by congratulating the film's team for their efforts. 'My congratulations to the film's makers, they have done a wonderful job and I certainly would not hesitate to recommend this film to audiences across the country and with sub-titles to the English as well," he concluded.
Kesari Chapter 2, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, follows the true story of nationalist-lawyer C Sankaran Nair, a prominent lawyer and former President of the Indian National Congress, who dared to legally challenge the British Raj over the brutal 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The film released on April 18.
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