Kesari (2019)

Based on an incredible true story of the Battle of Saragarhi in which an army of 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897.

Director:

Anurag Singh

Writers:

Girish Kohli, Anurag Singh

Stars:

Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Suvinder Vicky

5 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Akshay Kumar	...	Havildar Ishar Singh
Parineeti Chopra	...	Jiwani
Suvinder Vicky	...	Naik Lal Singh
Vansh Bhardwaj	...	Lance Naik Chanda Singh
Sumeet Basran	...	Gurmukh Singh
Ajit Singh	...	Nand Singh
Sandeep Nahar	...	Buta Singh
Harwinder Singh Aujla	...	Dava Singh
Rakesh Sharma	...	Bhola Singh
Adhrit Sharma	...	Uttam Singh
Vivek Saini	...	Jiwan Singh
Harbhagwan Singh	...	Bhagwan Singh
Rajdeep Singh Dhaliwal	...	Ram Singh
Gurpreet Toti
Harry Brar	...	Sundar Singh

Storyline

This period war-drama showcases the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi. The plot focuses on Havildar Ishar Singh who led a platoon of 21 Sikhs against an invading army of 10,000 Afghans to defend the North-West Frontier Province. The event is considered as one of the greatest last-stands in history.

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Plot Keywords:

periodic | sikh | afghan | fight to death | thriller drama | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Anurag Singh's comeback to Hindi films after ten years. His last directorial Hindi film was Dil Bole Hadippa! (2009).

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Goofs

A crate of .303 Ball ammo is visible in one scene at main gate crate itself is stamped 10-06-51.

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Alternate Versions

The UK release was cut, in order for the film to receive a BBFC classification and be approved for release in the UK the distributor was required to remove a scene of cockfighting which was deemed to be in breach of the UK Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937.

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Connections

Features B. Praak: Teri Mitti (2019)

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Soundtracks

Deh Shiva (Male Version)
Vocals by Sukhwinder Singh
Lyrics by Guru Gobind Singh
Music by Gurmoh

User Reviews

My First Bollywood Film.

I'd never seen a Bollywood film until now but having read about the Battle of Saragarhi I thought it would be interesting to watch. I will admit there is definitely some heavy melodrama in a few action scenes, I don't know if this is common in Indian films or not but it does disrupt the flow of the film somewhat (or at least give you the impression that beards and turbans give you superpowers). That being said most of the action sequences are well done and the tone while serious is punctuated by some hilarious jokes and dialogue that reflect the camaraderie amongst soldiers in such situations and make relating to and investing in a rather large cast of characters considerably easier. I don't know how Indian audiences would rate this film against other Bollywood films but I found this far more entertaining than recent Hollywood blockbusters.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site Official site [Japan]

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

21 March 2019 (USA)

Also Known As:

Kesari

Filming Locations:

Maharashtra, India

Box Office

Budget:

INR1,200,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,296,688

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dharma Productions, Hari Om Entertainment, Azure Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

150 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Atmos

Color:

Color (HD)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1