Kesari

Kesari (In English: Saffron) is an upcoming Indian action-war film starring Akshay Kumar and Parineeti Chopra in the lead roles and directed by Anurag Singh. It tells the history of Havildar Ishar Singh who participates in the Battle of Saragarhi (in which an army of 21 Sikhs fought against 10,000 Afghans in 1897). The film is scheduled for release on March 21, 2019.

Kesari Movie Cast and Characters

• Akshay Kumar as Havildar Ishar Singh
• Parineeti Chopra 
• Govind Namdev 
• Paresh Rawal 
• Boman Irani 
• Sonu Sood 
• Mir Sarwar as Khan Masud
• Vansh Bhardwaj as Chanda Singh
• Jaspreet Singh as Taklu
• Vivek Saini as Sipahi Jiwan Singh

Marketing and Release

The first look of the film was revealed by Akshay through his Twitter handle on 12 September 2018. The second look was released on the Republic day on 26 January 2019 on Akshay's twitter handle. The official theatrical poster of the film is released on 11 February 2019.The glimpses of the film in three teaser videos were released by Dharma Productions on 12 February 2019. New official theatrical poster of the film is released on 20 February 2019. The official trailer of the film was released by Dharma Productions on 21 February 2019.

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought before the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army and Pashtun Orakzai tribesmen. It occurred in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan).

The British Indian contingent comprised 21 Jat Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikhs (now the 4th battalion of the Sikh Regiment), who were stationed at an army post and were attacked by 10000 to 12,000 Afghans. The Sikhs, led by Havildar Ishar Singh, chose to fight to the death, in what is considered by some military historians as one of history's greatest last-stands.The post was recaptured two days later by another British Indian contingent.

Sikh military personnel commemorate the battle every year on 12 September, as Saragarhi Day.

Kesari Teaser and Trailer

Initially start with an invaders approx 10,000 Afghani's around the Saragarhi Fort and an dialogue from background "One English man told me that "You are a slave and from the soil of India only cowards takes birth, today is the day to answer them"

Ik Onkar (spiritual punjabi song) at background and Akshay Kumar essayed Havildar Ishar Singh look reveals in soldiers uniform along with love sequence with Parineeti. One of the soldier ask Ishar "Is there any job of soldiers?, we came here to fight with Pathans and not to make there Mosques. In reply Ishar says "When the time comes for fight we will fight, now it's time to make a home for god and what fight is there with god". And the sequence of see off with mom and love one before leaving for duty.

Afghani Invaders around the fort, with war cry of Ishar Singh "There is around 10000 outside and we only 21. Do you know the meaning of Saffron color? It's the color of courage, martyr. Long shoot, fire and fight sequence in the trailer.

Most famous dialogue deliver by Ishar Singh infront of Afghanis "Today my turban is saffron, the blood which goes down will be saffron and answer will also be saffron. In return Afghan's invader says to Ishar "All 3 forts and all sikhs turbine will below our feet" In return Ishar reply "You liar". End scene with burning sikh soldier steps toward Afghanis invaders.

Situation

Saragarhi was a small village in the border district of Kohat, situated on the Samana Range, in present-day Pakistan. On 20 April 1894, the 36th Sikhs of the British Indian Army was created, under the command of Colonel J. Cook. It was entirely composed of Jat Sikhs. In August 1897, five companies of the 36th Sikhs under Lieutenant Colonel John Haughton were sent to the northwest frontier of British India (modern-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and were stationed at Samana Hills, Kurag, Sangar, Sahtop Dhar and Saragarhi.

The British had partially succeeded in getting control of this volatile area, but tribal Pashtuns continued to attack British personnel from time to time. Thus a series of forts, originally built by Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Sikh Empire, were consolidated. Two of the forts were Fort Lockhart (on the Samana Range of the Hindu Kush mountains), and Fort Gulistan (Sulaiman Range), situated a few miles apart. Fort Lockhart is located at 33.5562N 70.9188E. Due to the forts not being visible to each other, Saragarhi was created midway, as a heliographic communication post. The Saragarhi post, situated on a rocky ridge, consisted of a small block house with loop-holed ramparts and a signalling tower.

A general uprising by the Afghans began there in 1897, and between 27 August and 11 September many vigorous efforts by Pashtuns to capture the forts were thwarted by the 36th Sikhs. In 1897, insurgent and inimical activities had increased, and on 3 and 9 September Afridi tribesmen, allied with the Afghans, attacked Fort Gulistan. Both the attacks were repulsed, and a relief column from Fort Lockhart, on its return trip, reinforced the signalling detachment positioned at Saragarhi, increasing its strength to three non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and eighteen other ranks (ORs).

The Battle

Sikh soldiers, circa 1890

Details of the Battle of Saragarhi are considered fairly accurate, because Gurmukh Singh signalled events to Fort Lockhart by heliograph as they occurred.

• Around 09:00, approximately 6,000–10,000 Afghans reach the signalling post at Saragarhi.
• Sepoy Gurmukh Singh signals to Colonel Haughton, situated in Fort Lockhart, that they are under attack.
• Haughton states he cannot send immediate help to Saragarhi.
• The soldiers in Saragarhi decide to fight to the last to prevent the enemy from reaching the forts.
• Sepoy Bhagwan Singh is the first soldier to be killed and Naik Lal Singh is seriously wounded.
• Naik Lal Singh and Sepoy Jiwa Singh reportedly carry the body of Bhagwan Singh back to the inner layer of the post.
• The enemy breaks a portion of the wall of the picket.
• Haughton signals that he has estimated that there are between 10,000 and 14,000 Pashtuns attacking Saragarhi.
• The leaders of the Pashtun forces reportedly make promises to the soldiers to entice them to surrender.
• Reportedly two determined attempts are made to rush open the gate, but are unsuccessful.
• Later, the wall is breached.
• Thereafter, some of the fiercest hand-to-hand fighting occurs.
• In an act of outstanding bravery, Havildar Ishar Singh orders his men to fall back into the inner layer, whilst he remains to fight. However, this is breached and all but one of the defending soldiers are killed, along with many of the Pashtuns.
• Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, who communicated the battle to Haughton, was the last surviving Sikh defender. He is stated to have killed 20 Afghans, the Pashtuns having to set fire to the post to kill him. As he was dying, he was said to have yelled repeatedly the Sikh battle cry "Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal!" ("One will be blessed eternally, who says that God is the ultimate truth!").

Having destroyed Saragarhi, the Afghans turned their attention to Fort Gulistan, but they had been delayed too long, and reinforcements arrived there in the night of 13–14 September, before the fort could be captured. The Pashtuns later admitted that they had lost about 180 killed and many more wounded during the engagement against the 21 Sikh soldiers, but some 600 bodies are said to have been seen around the ruined post when the relief party arrived (however, the fort had been retaken, on 14 September, by the use of intensive artillery fire, which may have caused many casualties). The total casualties in the entire campaign, including the Battle of Saragarhi, numbered around 4,800.

Order of Merit

The 21 Sikh non-commissioned officers and soldiers who died in the Battle of Saragarhi were from the Majha region of Punjab and were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, at that time the highest gallantry award which an Indian soldier could receive. The corresponding gallantry award was the Victoria Cross. The award is equivalent to today's Param Vir Chakra awarded by the President of India.

The names of the 21 recipients of the gallantry award are:

1. Havildar Ishar Singh (regimental number 165)
2. Naik Lal Singh (332)
3. Lance Naik Chanda Singh (546)
4. Sepoy Sundar Singh (1321)
5. Sepoy Ram Singh (287)
6. Sepoy Uttar Singh (492)
7. Sepoy Sahib Singh (182)
8. Sepoy Hira Singh (359)
9. Sepoy Daya Singh (687)
10. Sepoy Jivan Singh (760)
11. Sepoy Bhola Singh (791)
12. Sepoy Narayan Singh (834)
13. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh (814)
14. Sepoy Jivan Singh (871)
15. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh (1733)
16. Sepoy Ram Singh (163)
17. Sepoy Bhagwan Singh (1257)
18. Sepoy Bhagwan Singh (1265)
19. Sepoy Buta Singh (1556)
20. Sepoy Jivan Singh (1651)
21. Sepoy Nand Singh (1221)

Kesari Movie Story

If you gone through the situation and the battle paragraph then the story of an incredible real war story was cleared. But in the movie there is little Bollywood spices like family emotions and love angle of Haviladar Ishar Singh, which makes movie more catchy and watchful content for Indian viewers.

The story starts back in the year 1897 were Britishers and Russians are in the era of invading the middle east countries and joint make a deal to make a border between India and Afghanistan so that Russians can't enter and invade Indian soil. For the watch Britishers make 3 Forts "Fort Gulistan, Fort Lockhart & Saragarhi". In which the Saragarhi plays a vital role to communicate between these two main fort and a medium for communication through heliograph. 

Parineeti Chopra essayed a role of muslim girl with whom Ishar Singh fall in love and for her they decide to make a mosque for there community. After making this they on the way to his posted place at Saragarhi which is now under threat due to Afghani's were not happy with Britishers.

As Afghanistan is not happy with Britishers as they keep on invading Afghanistan and do wars, due to which the communication medium wires between Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart cut by Afghanis. Reason why Fort Saragarhi was established and for communication purpose, but only 21 Sikhs being posted for it. Due to all this Afghani's want to invade back on the main 3 forts of Britishers to make them back and not to invade and rule Afghanistan. As they know Saragarhi is most important communication medium and easy to invade as there is limited soldiers posted in it.

After this all fight sequence in which on paper 180 Afghani's but rumors of 800 Afghanis were killed in this fight along with all 21 Sikh Soldiers sacrifice there life. What happens after that Britishers how and what decision they take on this is story all about.

As we all know one of the most talented and versatile actor of Bollywood Akshay Kumar is now with the trend to work in out of the box movie, which make him stand at the different level from other actors. Recent past years were the great success for him and we expect the same from this movie as well. Parineeti after movie Golmaal Again, this is one of the big project for her. But as we know Akshay is such an actor who has the caliber to carry the whole movie alone on his soldier. It's releasing on the occasion or say Indian festival of colors Holi which help it to score a big on 1st day box office collection. Like other recent movies of Akshay Kumar this movie also score above 100 crores and enters the 200-300 crore club. Our all good wishes with this movie and team of movie Kesari.

Credit : Wikipedia

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