Mumbai, April 13 (IANS) Karan Singh Tyagi, who is all set to make his big-screen debut with ‘Kesari: Chapter 2,’ recalled being shocked and angered after watching a documentary in which General Dyer’s great-granddaughter defended the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre, calling the peaceful gathering “looters.”
Reacting strongly, Karan stated, “That interview really angered me. She labelled the people who came to Jallianwala as looters. The film is important because you’ll be shocked to know that the empire went into overdrive after the massacre. They went to extreme lengths in order to laud General Dyer as a hero.”
Karan Johar, too, had slammed General Dyer’s great-granddaughter, Caroline Dyer’s, insensitive comment on victims of the horrific Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Addressing the media at a promotional event for the film, the filmmaker said, “Not just as an Indian, not just as a humanitarian, but just like anyone who has even an aorta of empathy, and aorta of humanity within yourself- it will anger you. I don’t want to mince my words, I don’t want to be diplomatic in my answer, and certainly don’t want to beat around the bush when I say- how ridiculous was she to say that and how dare she? She was calling those thousands of people looters? They were innocent people who conglomerated right there for what was meant to be the auspicious day of Baisakhi.”
Just days ago, Caroline Dyer—the great-granddaughter of General Reginald Dyer—sparked outrage with her controversial remarks about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Speaking in a documentary, she referred to the unarmed civilians who were killed in the brutal 1919 incident as “looters,” stating bluntly that “history is history, and we’ve got to accept that.”
Meanwhile, April 13, 2025, will marked the 106th year of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Karan Singh Tyagi believes the story is more relevant than ever. He shared, “The event speaks to the present times that we live in. It’s a post-truth world where fake news is rampant. I was fascinated that when people read about the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, the next day, the truth was suppressed.”
He also highlights how the British went to great lengths to suppress any dissent, attempting to silence every voice that dared to speak out against the massacre. “There were regional newspapers that wanted to report the truth, which got burned down. There’s this famous poem written by a survivor called Khooni Baisakhi—the British Empire went to great lengths to ban that poem. The Empire started spreading a fake narrative… where the victims were labelled as terrorists… I think it’s a fascinating story to bring to the people in 2025.”
Tyagi also praised Akshay Kumar’s performance in the film saying, “He’s been incredible in his support for me. I just want the audience to watch the film because I feel this is one of his best performances. He’s heard stories from his grandfather, from his father. So he feels a personal connection to the tragedy.”
“Kesari Chapter 2″ is based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire, written by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, Nair’s great-grandson and his wife.
Set against the backdrop of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, the film is set to release in theatres on April 18.
–IANS
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