Kesari posters: Akshay Kumar up in arms for this colour of valour

Three production houses were interested in making a film on the 1987 battle of Saragarhi. But it is Dharma Productions and Akshay Kumar who have taken the giant step of realising this dream. The makers released the first official posters of their period film, titled Kesari. 

In 1897, 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army laid their lives while battling against 10,000 Afghan soldiers. The Sikh regiment was led by Havildar Ishar Singh (played by Akshay Kumar). 

Each year the British mark 12 September as Saragarhi Day. Therefore, it is only fitting to reveal the film’s posters today.

The first poster has Havildar Ishar Singh, the leader of the Sikh regiment leading a war cry. Naturally, Akshay stands out as the leader and the only one wearing a saffron turban. The actors playing the other 21 heroes can’t be recognised purely because of their beard.

The catch line of the film reads — Aaj meri pagdi bhi Kesari, jo bahega mera woh lahu bhi Kesari.. Aur mera jawaab bhi Kesari [Today, my Turban is Kesari, the blood that will flow from me will be Kesari and my reply will also be Kesari].  The word, meaning saffron in English, is also associated with 'bravery'.

A group of men standing at a distance would naturaaly look shorter than they actually are. However, the men in the poster above look a bit too short. The graphics team, perhaps, has not quite got the image right.

It is the second poster that really looks a class apart. The image of a crouching Ishar Singh with his men around him, some seated, some standing, is a sight to behold. At least, some of his soldiers are visible. This poster is rich in visual appeal. 

Akshay has played a Sikh before in Aneez Bazmee’s Singh Is Kinng (2008) and then later in Singh is Bliing (2015). His look in the Kesari though stands out from the previous films.

Actress Parineeti Chopra plays the female lead in the film. Directed by Anurag Singh, Kesari is set to be released on 21 March 2019. The film has been delayed after a fire broke out on its sets earlier this year in Wai, Maharashtra. The team is expected to wind up the remaining shoot in the next few months.