‘A Certain Four-Letter Word Would Have Never…’ News24 –

After the release of Akshay Kumar’s Kesari Chapter 2, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also watched the film and shared his review. He praised the historical drama and Akshay’s portrayal in the film. However, he also highlighted his worries over the dialogue choices, saying that C. Sankaran Nair would never have used the words that Akshay’s character has spoken in the film.

Shashi Said, “I thought it was an amazingly well-made, well-crafted film. It took some liberties with historical fact, but it says at the very beginning it’s fiction. But what it did was capture the spirit of resistance, especially using the instruments of the British court system. You can’t win in the end. And we, sadly, waited 28 years after Jallianwala Bagh to become free.”

“But the message of the film was brilliantly done. I must say, as usual, in a very high-quality production, the acting, the direction, the way the story unfolded, everything was just so compelling. There wasn’t one dull moment. I mean, I was worried that for many people, just seeing courtroom scenes might not be so compelling.” He continued.

Shashi, who is also from Kerala, added, “But the way the story came out, I think it was impossible to turn your eye away for one second. Very riveting, very well done. I’ve been a fan of Sir Chettur Shankaran Nair for a long time. In fact, eight years ago, here in Tiruvannamalai, I delivered a speech memorializing him and talking about his life and achievements. But though some of this, of course, romanticizes him, if you like, in a very, very positive way, I think the fact that he was a man of courage and principle and integrity comes through. He would never have used some of the words that Akshay Kumar uses, particularly a certain four-letter word, which would never have come out of Sir Chettur Shankaran Nair.”

Akshay Kumar was seen in the character of lawyer C. Sankaran Nair in the film where he used the phrase “f**k you” during one of the scenes.

Shashi further went on to say, “I can tell you that for sure. But the spirit, the message, and the very clever way in which the message was allowed to come across were extremely well done. And I will say that, you know, we need films to remind people of some of the atrocities that were inflicted. Jallianwala Bagh, in particular, was in many ways emblematic of the worst sins of the British Raj. I am proud that when I wrote my book about the empire, Inglorious Empire in England in the Era of Darkness Here, and when I then did a book tour in the UK, the point I made very strongly was the need for an apology for the massacre. And I’m glad that at the end of the film, they made the point in their screenshot that the one thing the British have never done is say sorry.”

“On the 100th anniversary in 2019, the Prime Minister did speak in the House of Commons, but all she said was that they regret the events of that day. That’s not the same as an apology. And I think this film is a reminder to the British and to all of us that that apology is still due. But my congratulations to the filmmakers. They’ve done a wonderful job, and I certainly would not hesitate to recommend this film to audiences across our country, with subtitles in English as well. Let them watch it,” Shashi Tharoor concluded.

Shashi Krishnan Chandrashekaran Tharoor, aka Shashi Tharoor, is a member of parliament for Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

Kesari Chapter 2 is directed by Karan Singh Tyagi and is the second installment of the 2019 Kesari. The film was released in theatres on April 18, 2025. Alongside Akshay Kumar, the cast of the movie also includes, R. Madhavan, Ananya Panday, and Regina Cassandra.

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news24desk

Apr 27, 2025 16:44