Kesari is a triumph of the acting game, the action – and Akshay!

Distribution: Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra

Director: Anurag Singh

Hindi; 1 hour, 50 minutes; UA

Rating: Four stars

The film takes place in 1897, in the northwestern border province, today Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. (Source: YouTube screengrab)

Thus, Kesari is a triumph. It's Akshay Kumar's triumph – but it's also more.

The true story is the most powerful star of Kesari .

Introducing the Battle of Saragarhi, it takes place in 1897, in the North West Frontier Province, now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Here, 21 Sikh soldiers die after fighting 10,000 Afghan tribesmen attacking their fort. Despite enormous odds, the Sikhs remain valiant at heart. They are led by Havildar Ishar Singh (Akshay Kumar), who inspires his keen sense of military business, his wit – and his sweetness.

Akshay Kumar is as surprising as Ishar Singh – without any trace of Akshay Kumar. Here, there is no casual smile or teasing smile. Instead, Ishar is a simple farmer turned soldier after being the victim of racist abuse by his British officer. During a slower first period, Ishar moves from a sipahi who makes his "tooti" to a man who fights ferociously – as a free being. Akshay is superb – his face, smaller than usual under a large pagdi and an imposing beard, looks more emaciated than glamorous. His eyes, when he greets the racist Briton, swim with pain. His smiles, in imaginary conversations with his wife Malko (Parineeti Chopra in a sparkling monochrome), are shy. Here there is no trace of 'Khiladi & # 39; Flamboyant Kumar.

The real star is cinematography – filmed by Anshul Chobey, capturing the relentless landscape of the NWFP, a kaleidoscope of snow-capped mountains and dusty, hard, rugged plains. , an occasional nadi silver, and everywhere an implacable and insistent ocher.

The cast of Kesari is great. Each soldier shapes his individuality; there are small touches – a postcard with the imprint of a child, a pair of shoes purchased with love for an elderly father, the trembling mouth of the youngest soldier, Gurmukh Singh (a remarkable performance) – bright love. This love spreads to their comrades, each falling after having decimated many Afghans, many of whom were killed by unjust means and not by a fair fight.

In Kesari will touch more than a historical nerve.

The film paints a portrait of NWFP's past turbulence – and subtly suggests its current dangers. The representation of Afghan Mullah Syedullah, who uses jihad to push towards Hindostan, is perfectly staged. When the mullah captures, tortures and decapitates an Afghan woman, the sadness highlights how little has changed in this part of the world. The action, especially in the astonishing second half, is full of remarkable war scenes with a wide angle and very close shots, capturing in a detailed manner Akshay's martial prowess.

Afghans are generally portrayed as a group – either a band of savage thieves or plastic peasants, but there is little individuality beyond that. An Afghan girl plays a small role, but it lacks impact. Most of the actors who play Afghans look strangely disappointed while one – effeminate shooter, blushed nails and mouth gaping – remains mysterious, unless the purpose of his existence is to remind Malik Ghafoor of Padmaavat fame.

Kesari crosses history and topography. (Source: YouTube screengrab)

Still, there are small critics. Most of the time, Kesari goes through history – and topography (his sequences in Punjab are wonderful too, evoking the exact green of his fields, the immensity of his skies, against which a Baradari arcadier is confident, some scenes – the "kamikazes" or Ishar muttering, "Chal jhootha" to the evil mullah – applaud, and the film runs to the end, when the Sikhs lose the battle – but win the war. 19659024] View Kesari A vibrant film that captures a point of the past – which is relevant in the present too

Read also: Launch of the "Kesari" trailer: Akshay Kumar Presents Military Pride, Sikh Value and Punjabi Power!