Kesari Chapter 2 Day 1: Akshay’s Film Opens Modestly

Akshay Kumar's latest film, Kesari Chapter 2, had a quiet start at the box office, bringing in ₹7.5 crore on its first day, as reported by Sacnilk. The movie, which also features R Madhavan and Ananya Panday, is a historical courtroom drama centered around the life of renowned lawyer C. Sankaran Nair.

Despite being made on an estimated budget of ₹150 crore, the film saw limited footfall on Friday, with overall theatre occupancy averaging 20%. Attendance picked up slightly throughout the day—from 12.67% in the morning to 27.80% for the night shows.

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Kesari Chapter 2 delves into the events surrounding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, a tragic episode in India’s colonial history that took place on April 13, 1919, during Baisakhi in Amritsar. Thousands had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh to peacefully protest the Rowlatt Act and demand the release of leaders Dr. Satyapal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew.

The peaceful gathering turned deadly when Brigadier General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to open fire without warning. According to the Ministry of Culture, 1,650 bullets were discharged until the ammunition was depleted. British reports claimed 291 deaths, while Indian accounts estimate the death toll exceeded 500.

This film serves as a spiritual sequel to the 2019 release Kesari, which portrayed the Battle of Saragarhi where 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army stood against 10,000 Pashtun fighters. The original film featured Parineeti Chopra in a pivotal role, reports UNB.