The North-West Frontier of the British Raj, circa 1897, turns into a bloodied battlefield in the trailer of Akshay Kumar’s upcoming film, Kesari. Directed by Anurag Singh (Jatt & Juliet, Punjab 1984), the film recreates the historic Battle of Saragarhi, wherein 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army protected a military outpost against 10,000 Pashtun Orakzai tribesmen.
In the trailer, Akshay — playing the role of Havilder Ishar Singh, the leader of the Sikh regiment — is seen sporting a massive turban equipped with a sharp war quoit. The actor leads charge out front, as he and his men slash down wave after wave of invading enemies. Director Singh stages epic battle scenes combining tactical gunfight with heroic swordsmanship: at one point, Kumar cries out loud to his troops, “Do you understand the significance of kesari (saffron)? It's the colour of bravery, the colour of martyrdom.”
Parineeti Chopra, last seen in the 2018 film Namaste England, also appears in the trailer in a small role. Kesari has been produced by Cape Of Good Films in association with Dharma Productions and Azure Entertainment. Zee Studios is handling the distribution of the film. It is scheduled for release on March 21.
Akshay Kumar’s 2019 lineup also includes the Mission Mangal, Housefull 4 and Good News.