Kesari 2 Box Office Day 1: Akshay Kumar and R Madhavan’s Courtroom Drama Off to Cautious Start—Can Word of Mouth Save It?

Kesari 2 Shifts Focus from Battlefields to Courtrooms

The release of Kesari 2 marks a new chapter for Akshay Kumar, who returns to patriotic cinema—this time trading rifles and bloodied uniforms for legal briefs and courtroom tension. Unlike the 2019 original, which dramatized the legendary Battle of Saragarhi, this sequel zeroes in on the aftermath of the infamous 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Rather than a straightforward action epic, the film delves into the dogged legal struggle led by C. Sankaran Nair, played by R Madhavan. Director Karan Singh Tyagi adapts Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat’s book, 'The Case That Shook the Empire,' with Dharma Productions backing the project.

The first day numbers are in—and they're cautious, not explosive. Early collections place Kesari 2 just above Akshay Kumar’s recent misfires but still far from blockbuster territory. The movie’s fate now rests heavily on audience chatter: positive buzz at multiplexes and across social media could tip the scales.

Box Office: Word of Mouth Will Decide the Outcome

The film’s performance so far reveals a very telling pattern. Urban centers like Mumbai and Delhi have fueled the initial earnings, while the response in northern regional circuits—especially Punjab—has added a crucial boost. This isn’t surprising, given the strong connection to Punjab’s history and the subject matter’s local resonance.

But Kesari 2 stands apart from typical Bollywood releases in another big way—it’s aiming for hearts and minds, not just cinematic spectacle. The film’s legal drama focuses less on war heroics and more on moral arguments, historical trauma, and justice. For audiences looking for action-packed escapism, this might be a slower burn. Still, there’s genuine interest among Bollywood viewers tired of formulaic fare.

Here’s what’s working in its favor:

• Akshay Kumar is in his element with patriotic, real-life roles, and R Madhavan’s addition brings an extra spark.
• The direct link to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre—a dark but significant episode from colonial history—gives the movie a built-in emotional hook.
• The marketing has played up the courtroom drama, attracting curiosity from viewers keen on stories of resistance and justice.

On the flip side, Kesari 2 faces clear hurdles. The subject matter is niche—courtroom battles over colonial atrocities aren’t everyone’s idea of Friday night fun. There’s also the risk that younger viewers, with little connection to the history, might skip it.

Still, the initial turnout hints that word of mouth—especially if the film strikes emotional gold—could turn a merely decent start into a strong, sustained run. Smaller cinemas in Punjab and urban multiplexes are now the key battlegrounds for the days ahead.