There Is No One Quite Like Akshay Kumar, Kesari Proves It

The   trailer  of  Anurag Singh’s Kesari is every bit that patriotic juggernaut that  we expected  it to be. It  is  passionate and bombastic  , brimming over with nationalistic indignation  as  Akshay Kumar , plays a wizened  but  lionhearted Sardar  Ishar Singh who along with  21 Sikh soldiers defeated an  Afghan battalion  of 10,000 soldiers.

This is a  tale  of  wide-angled valour .And I really can’t see anyone  except  Akshaycarrying it  off  . There  is a  certain element of trendy gravitas  about his personality whichcontemporizes  history(this one  is set in 1897)  without  trivializing it in any way. And Akshay can nail  the  jingoistic  rhetorics  like no one  else cab. His  bloodcurdling war cry at  the  end of the trailer  is  so inspiring it prompted me to mutter ‘Jai Hind’.

Akshay  instills    a pliable  passion  into the rhetorics, as  his character runs ferociously  to  annihilate  the  powerful invaders.

This is a film that wears its heart  on the sleeve.Director Anurag Singh has once made a  film about a  suspected  Khalistani terrorist  on the run in Punjab 1984. With Kesari he  penetrates  the  big-time with   a war cry. And  who better  to voice it than Akshay Kumar?

The  trailer  doesn’t have much to give of any  other actor. I do hope the  the supporting cast which includes a makeup-less  Parineeti Chopra  trying to look like a Sardarni married to the bravest  soldier  on that side of 1947 ,  is used properly. What we see  in the trailer are  CG-induced war  sequences. These could  have been  done better considering the  film has four  affluent  producers, including Akshay Kumar himself and Karan  Johar.They were probably  cutting down on costs  considering Manikarnika  got away with such clumsy battle scenes(including shots  of  Kangana  Ranaut as  Jhani Ki Rani riding wooden horse).

Kesari  looks and feels authentic. Standing  at the  centre  of this sanguinary world AkshayKumar  lords  over  the  proceedings like a  wounded lion.  March 23 is  the  release  date  for this recreation of  a chunk of India’s freedom movement  that many  filmmakers  have been trying to   put together  for  years. But none succeeded.

Akshay  Kumar was destined to play  Havildar  Ishar Singh. He told me this  is  the  toughest role of his career.Not  only did he  carry  a heavy turban and thick  lengthy  beard , he also  had  to play man who wouldn’t stop at anything  to protect his  nation.

 This is the  mood  that the country is now experiencing.

Kesari  echoes the  public sentiment. Don’t stop at anything to crush the enemy.  In one sequence an Afghan enemy threatens to  subjugate India and its people.

Akshay stares at  the  big-talking  enemy  and says, “Chal joothe”, as  though someone had  just told him that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is  not  only  beautiful, she can also act.A little bit of  humour never hurt the national  pride.