Movie Review HINDI H OW A KSHAY K UMAR ' S K ESARI OVERPLAYS THE K HALSA ' S KESRI IN BHAGVA CLIMATE There are many missteps in the controversial war movie. But there is still one reason I would thank Akshay Kumar for Kesari. By HARMEET SHAH SINGH Special to India Parent Magazine
major tuitions in history here. A quick glance at the archived images of the 36 Sikhs of the British Indian army could have encouraged you to sport a realistic — and appealing — coun- tenance. The Battle of Saragarhi took place in 1897. Getting the
Dear Akshay, You owe your fame partly to Sikh themes. Unfortunately till today though, you mostly represented Sikh characters either absurdly or weirdly out of place. In Singh Is King, to my mind, you lampooned the proud Sikh identity — your Singh Is Bling was worse.The portray- al of Sikhs in Bollywood films has evolved. But far from fast enough. But there is a reason why these films were made in the first place. A sizeable — and lucrative — Bollywood mar- ket exists overseas. It's dominated by Sikh deep pockets across the developed world on both hemispheres. Bollywood woke up to this economic reality as little as 20 years ago. It began experimenting with Sikh themes as the Internet age flourished and the world shrank into a global village. But it too had to evolve The rise of Diljit Dosanjh as an iconic star and a social media celebrity led Bollywood to shed the readymade fake topi-turbans that Akshay Kumar wore eccentrically enough in Singh Is King. Actors in Hindi cinema started tying turbans in impres- sive styles for an authentic on-screen look. But the hangover from the tasteless portrayal of Sikhs in movies like Raja Hindustani and Kuch Kuch Hota Hain persisted. The massive film industry located in India's financial capital — barring a few exceptions — still lacks the skills and the intellectual sophistication to project Sikh history, characters and subjects discerningly in movies. It continues to succumb to interpolations, stereotyping — and the political climate of the day. Thus, to my mind, Akshay Kumar's Kesari stands out as an example of needlessly infecting what was a tremendous act of collective valour in the British Indian army. What turned me off in Kesari The first turnoff is the main lead's wig-type fake beard. Kesari is set in the late 19th century — 1897, to be precise. Getting the details right was not so difficult. Akshay, if your topi-turban was one of the eyesores in Singh Is King, your make-up in Kesari, as I see it, did no favours to the valiant Sikh sergeant you play. You needed no
details right wasn't so difficult. (Left: Kesari still, Right: 36 Sikh Regiment, courtesy: Capt Jay Singh-Sohal) Given the importance of the role, you could have invest- ed some time in growing your beard naturally. But appar- ently, you didn't. Instead, you chose the same Singh-Is-King topi-turban short-cut for your facial hair and compromised the towering character of Saragarhi. But, dear Akshay, your role in Kesari is bewildering for more than one reason. Your Toilet: Ek Prem Katha and Pad Man were indis- putably in line with the Modi government's sanitation pro- gram. They carried a positive message. Good. But Kesari , despite its captivating final hour and artwork promising commercial success, barges unreasonably into religious and ideological realms. Why Khalsa's kesri in the film Kesari? Why insert the Khalsa's kesri into what essentially was a battle between a disciplined British Indian army and Pathan tribes of the North West Frontier Province? From my conversation with researchers in the modern British armed forces, I am convinced it was an unwelcome interpolation into a historic battle.
50 www.indiaparentmagazine.org
April 2019
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog