Latest news with #KaranSinghTyagi
Pink Villa
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kesari Chapter 2 Worldwide Box Office: Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan starrer closes theatrical run at Rs 142 crore
Kesari Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar, R Madhavan, and Ananya Panday in the lead, has ended its run at the box office. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the movie wrapped its box office journey on a decent note. Kesari Chapter 2 winds up global theatrical run at Rs 142 crore Backed by Karan Johar under Dharma Productions, Kesari Chapter 2 garnered positive reception among the audience, which helped it in recording an encouraging run at the box office. Released on April 18th, the movie is ending its global box office journey at a figure of Rs 142 crore gross. Of this, Rs 108.50 crore (Rs 90.25 crore net) came from the Indian markets while the international territories contributed about USD 3.9 million, which is Rs 33.50 crore gross as per Indian currency. The movie is wrapping its worldwide cume with an average verdict. Though the movie couldn't end the dearth of a Clean Hit movie for Akshay Kumar, it definitely turned out to be a relief, as his last few movies were box office duds. Kesari Chapter 2 remains behind its prequel's business The spiritual sequel to 2019 released Kesari is expected to be the talk of the town during its OTT release. The movie received a favourable response in the urban markets while the masses remained reluctant due to its heavy-on-content approach. When compared to its prequel, the Karan Singh Tyagi directorial remained far behind. For the unversed, Kesari (2019) had collected a solid Rs 151 crore net in India alone while its worldwide gross was Rs 200 crore. Nevertheless, the success of Kesari Chapter 2 brought positivity to the actor, who was going through a rough patch. Akshay Kumar will be next seen in Housefull 5, which is expected to bring big box office numbers and end the superstar's dearth of clean Hit movies. Area-wise box office break-up of Kesari Chapter 2 is as follows: Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
Pink Villa
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
Kesari Chapter 2 Box Office Collection Day 35: Akshay Kumar and Ananya Panday starrer nets Rs 15 lakh
Kesari Chapter 2 Box Office Collection Day 35: Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh arrived in cinemas on April 18, 2025. The courtroom drama stars Akshay Kumar as the main lead, along with Ananya Panday and R Madhavan in key roles. Set in the aftermath of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Kesari 2 has earned Rs 15 lakh today. Produced under the banners of Dharma Productions, Cape of Good Films, and Leo Media Collective, Kesari Chapter 2 collected Rs 45 crore net in the opening week at the box office. In the second week, the Kesari sequel earned Rs 27.75 crore. This was followed by Rs 9 crore earnings in the third week. In the fourth week, the legal drama registered Rs 5.45 crore. On the 35th day, the Akshay Kumar starrer minted Rs 15 lakh net business, bringing a net collection of the fifth week to Rs 2.35 crore. The cumulative collection of Kesari Chapter 2 now stands at Rs 89.55 crore in 35 days. Kesari Chapter 2 requires Rs 45 lakh to touch the Rs 90 crore mark at the box office. The film is currently competing with Raid 2, Mission: Impossible- The Final Reckoning, and Final Destination: Bloodlines. It will finish its theatrical run in the range of Rs 92 crore to Rs 94 crore. Kesari Chapter 2 in cinemas Kesari Chapter 2 is running in cinemas nearby. You can book your tickets from the online ticket-booking websites or grab them from the counter. Stay tuned to Pinkvilla for more updates. Disclaimer: The box office figures are compiled from various sources and our research. The figures can be approximate, and Pinkvilla does not make any claims about the authenticity of the data. However, they are adequately indicative of the box-office performance of the films in question.
India Today
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
‘Kesari Chapter 2' breaks fake narratives about Jallianwala Bagh killings: Karan Singh Tyagi
Karan Singh Tyagi had a cushy life as a lawyer in New York, but one fine day, he told his law firm partner he wanted to take a sabbatical and give filmmaking—his passion—a shot. From starting out as a clapper boy in Vishal Bhardwaj's Rangoon (2017) to directing Akshay Kumar in the hit Karan Johar-produced historical drama Kesari Chapter 2 (Rs 84 crore in collections and counting), Tyagi has come a long way.'My father inculcated in me a love for movies,' shares Tyagi, seated at the Dharma Productions office in Mumbai's Andheri. 'Every Friday night, we'd go to the cinema. Watching films was a religion; dissecting and talking about them was an outlet for me.'It's while doing the latter that Tyagi would get to know Somen Mishra, who'd run the blog site moifightclub, for which Tyagi would write articles. Their paths would cross again as Mishra joined Dharma Productions, later becoming its head of creative development, and Tyagi began developing several project ideas for it, including a script he hopes will see the light of day.'Somen was instrumental in getting this film (Kesari Chapter 2) made,' says Tyagi. 'He backed Amrit (Amritpal Singh Bindra, co-writer) and I on the film.'advertisementPrior to striking big with his feature film debut, Tyagi earned his credits with Leo Media Collective. He was part of the writing team for season two of Amazon Prime series Bandish Bandits and also worked on the series Kaalkoot (JioCinema).Kesari Chapter 2 is the result of Dharma and Leo Media Collective banding together. Says Tyagi, 'They championed a first-time director.' In a conversation with INDIA TODAY, the Harvard Law School alumnus talks about his film, which shines a light on nationalist lawyer C. Sankaran Nair, who had taken on the British over the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, and addresses the criticisms directed at it.Q. There's been some criticism about how you have apparently taken too much creative licence with history in telling the story of C. Sankaran Nair.A. I took an insight from Sankaran Nair's life—he was knighted by the British, worked for them and fought a case against them. I wanted the transformation to be clear—the character arc of British loyalist to the biggest patriot play adapting a court case—the actual case went on for months—we were compressing it for a two-hour film. When you do that, you have to compress the timeline and combine characters. I wanted my film to be seen by maximum number of people, which explains the choices we real case took place half in Punjab and half in London. For ease of communication and language, we kept it as one singular venue. Here is where my legal experience comes in. Our case is about what really happened at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919. We have not deviated from the incident. A plane did fly over the gathering; a fake curfew was imposed to label people as terrorists; Gorkha and Baloch soldiers were called in (Sikh soldiers would refuse shoot-at-sight orders). We were cognisant we wanted to use the word genocide, something the world hasn't were adapting the book written by the great grandson of Nair. His family was involved at the scripting stage; they were the first to watch the film and give their stamp of approval.Q. There's concern that viewers may believe all the events depicted in the film actually happened. A. I am a huge fan of [Hollywood screenwriter] Aaron Sorkin, and there's a quote of his—that movies on real-life people and incidents need not be photographs; they can be paintings. When you paint, you have more latitude in creating drama and interpersonal dynamics. We have not deviated from the soul of Nair's life. The movie brings the story out into the public domain. I want more people to read the book and know more about Nair's life.Q. Akshay Kumar, as Sankaran Nair in the film, at one point uses the F word in courtroom. This has had both audiences cheering in cinemas and others talking about courtroom decorum and historical accuracy. Was the film an outlet for you to vent your rage and anguish about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?A. For us, it was that Nair couldn't have fired a bullet, so he used his voice to seek justice. For me, the entire last scene is reflective of the new, modern India, which doesn't hesitate to look the oppressor in the eye and hold them accountable. It was very important to use the F word and show the confrontational side. We have been submissive for far too Michael Dyer committed a heinous act, but what did the British empire do? They protected him and put their entire might in putting forth a narrative that the innocent children [at Jallianwala Bagh] were armed terrorists. A pension fund was set up for Dyer, and Rudyard Kipling wrote an article about how he saved India. People still believe in that fake narrative. We wanted to demolish it, send the message that we will hold you accountable.Q. It's a period tale but there's also some contemporary relevance—at least some scenes and dialogues suggest so.A. One of the main reasons why the massacre took place is that Hindus and Muslims had come together to protest against the Rowlatt Act during Ram Navami, which was a big blow to the empire's policy of divide and rule. We are just carrying that thought forward. It's a period film which speaks to the present. We live in a time when unlawful detentions happen around us and artists are held accountable for their thoughts and quote 'Empires perish because they listen to their lawyers and ministers and not to their poets' was the driving factor when writing this film. Kesari Chapter 2 begins with a case of a revolutionary poet (Kripal Singh) being held accountable for his work. Nair's transformation happens because of Kripal Singh and what happens to his son. His journey is that of a lawyer who fought the case with the soul of a poet and a revolutionary. I wanted that message to be as clear and loud as What are you working on next?A. I'm writing my next. It will be a drama reflective of the beautiful country we live in and a commentary on today's time. I want my films to be seen by the entire country.Q. So no regrets about leaving law behind?A. None whatsoever. The reading part of law remains intact, and my wife is a lawyer. There's gratitude that I got a second chance to do something I am passionate about. Law has helped me acquire a structured way of approaching a particular problem and the ability to to India Today Magazine
Hans India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
‘Kesari Chapter 2' set for Telugu debut on May 23 after ₹100 Cr Hindi run
Akshay Kumar's gripping historical drama Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh is gearing up for its Telugu release on May 23, following an impressive ₹100 crore box office run in Hindi. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the courtroom drama has been winning hearts for its powerful storytelling and impactful performances. In Kesari Chapter 2, Akshay Kumar portrays legendary lawyer C. Sankaran Nair, who took on the British Empire after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Alongside him, R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday deliver compelling performances, especially in the film's intense courtroom sequences, which have garnered widespread praise. The Telugu version is being presented by the renowned Suresh Productions, ensuring a wide and prominent release across the Telugu-speaking states. With the film already receiving critical acclaim and strong word-of-mouth in the Hindi market, Telugu audiences are eagerly awaiting its regional premiere. Produced by Dharma Productions, Leo Media Collective, and Cape of Good Films, the movie blends history with drama, shedding light on a lesser-known but significant chapter of India's freedom struggle. The Telugu release is expected to further expand the film's reach and success. With its hard-hitting narrative, emotional depth, and stellar cast, Kesari Chapter 2 is all set to leave a lasting impact on Telugu audiences just as it did in the Hindi belt. The countdown to May 23 has begun.
Indian Express
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Kesari 2 director Karan Singh Tyagi: ‘The youth must know they can't take their freedom for granted'
Writer and director of the recently-released Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, Karan Singh Tyagi drew on his days as a lawyer to script this period courtroom drama. He studied at Mumbai's Government Law College before getting his postgraduate degree in law from Harvard University. The 39-year-old, also a media columnist, has scripted Bandish Bandits Season 2 and been the showrunner on the web series Kaalkoot as well. At the panel discussion on the topic 'Old Ghost, New Generation, Portrayal of Colonial History in Indian Cinema and its Relevance', hosted by the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in collaboration with SCREEN, he spoke about Kesari Chapter 2, adapting it from a book on the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and why young people should watch it. Take us through your journey from being a lawyer to directing and co-writing a courtroom drama. They say one can't outrun their destiny, and mine was sealed in 1985. In fact, even before I was born. My parents were movie buffs and my mother went to watch a film with my father when she was pregnant. That was Meri Jung, a courtroom drama directed by Subhash Ghai. Just as Mahabharata's Abhimanyu learned about warfare from his mother's womb, I learnt the intricacies of both court and movies from mine. What inspired you to become a filmmaker? The inspiration was movies. I grew up on the cinema of the '90s. I loved Rajkumar Santoshi's Ghayal, Ghatak, Damini, which were about societal injustice. I come from a middle-class family where education is given priority. So my parents insisted that I finish my legal education and take up a job. But I knew that one day Bollywood would call me and I (finally) summoned the courage. I told my New York law firm partner that I wanted to take a sabbatical, travel to Mumbai and try my hand at filmmaking. When I came here, I was lucky to meet people like Amritpal Singh Bindra, founder of Leo Media Collective. He co-wrote the story with me and went on to produce the film along with Dharma Productions. If a Harvard student could find time to watch masala films from the '90s, that speaks volumes of the soft power of Indian cinema. My outlet during my law school days was Indian cinema. I remember walking for two kilometres in the snow to catch a show of My Name is Khan. And I, in fact, got my entire class to watch that movie. But why were you drawn to this particular episode in Indian history — the Jallianwala Bagh massacre? The trigger point was a book I read — The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man's Fight for the Truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (2019). We all know that General Dyer came and fired upon innocent people, but the book threw up some interesting insights. It said that everything was premeditated. Also the fact that a man called Sankaran Nair, who started out as a lawyer for the British Empire, fought a case to uncover the truth. When I read this, I knew that we had a story that needed to be told. As a filmmaker, what is your primary concern when you are taking up such a project? The concern was that the movie has to be engaging and entertaining. Which is why we compressed a courtroom trial that went on for months into a two-hour narrative. When we did that, we had to compress timelines, we had to create drama, we had to create interpersonal dynamics. How do you balance fact with drama? Because it's not a documentary, it's a feature film. So one of my screenwriting heroes, Aaron Sorkin, has said that movies on real-life events and real-life people need not be photographs. They can be paintings. Because a photograph is an accurate representation of that period but in a painting, one gets more freedom, more latitude to create drama. Our goal was that the country needed to know about Nair. And in order to do that, we also had the family's blessings with us because the book that we were adapting is written by Nair's great-grandson Raghu Palat. So we went on to create a transformational arc for the character by understanding insights from his life — where Nair goes from a point of being a British aristocrat, somebody who was knighted, to becoming the country's biggest patriot. At the same time, we were mindful that we were not deviating from the factual realities of Jallianwala Bagh. But what we did was that we transformed a defamation suit into a genocide trial because to counter defamation, you need to prove the truth of what happened. The movie essentially became about why what happened at Jallianwala Bagh was a conspiracy. Also Read | Kesari Chapter 2 Movie Review: Akshay Kumar stars in a film of its time, for its time, with dollops of patriotic fervour What I find fascinating is that you are telling us a story which happened a century ago, but your audience is fairly young. So did that play on your mind while writing and directing the film? We wanted our film to appeal to a contemporary young audience as well. Which is why, we had the character of Dilreet Gill, who was a young lawyer of that time. We wanted the young people of the country to understand that they cannot take their freedom for granted; that the freedom that we are living in today is a result of sacrifices made by innumerable people. We wanted the film to appeal to a young audience. Even in our teaser, we have used a four-letter word and the idea behind that abuse was that we wanted it to be reflective of young India's mindset. A young India, which is aggressive and strong, and which does not hesitate to look the oppressor in the eye and hold them accountable. So yes, we were intentionally appealing to the young generation. Would you make another historical period drama? I would really like to. I want to tell human dramas and I'm drawn to history. There are numerous instances in the past that I feel should be documented. So given a chance, I would really love to make another historical drama. Any specific episode from history? I absolutely love reading about the 1857 revolt, which was the first war of independence. I feel that it is a fascinating portrait of our history, which can be documented on the screen beautifully. I'm also drawn to Dr BR Ambedkar and his inspiring story. Also Read | Even as Akshay Kumar's Kesari Chapter 2 shows an imagined past, it ends up confronting the present As a filmmaker, do you feel a certain responsibility when you are telling such a story? In this case, we were documenting Jallianwala Bagh and we had to be sensitive and authentic to the people who lost their lives. An added responsibility was because we were documenting the life of Sankaran Nair, which is why we adapted a book written by his family. We had the family read the script. So that responsibility is always there when you are documenting history. But that has to be balanced with making the film engaging and making it appeal to a wide audience.
