Kesari Chapter 2 day 1 advance box office report: Akshay Kumar, Ananya Panday starrer off to slow start; earns Rs 1.85 Crore |

Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh, one of the most anticipated releases of the month, is off to a relatively slow start at the box office in terms of advance bookings. The Akshay Kumar and Ananya Panday starrer has managed to earn an estimated Rs 1.85 crore net from advance sales for Day 1.
According to early estimates on sacnilk.com, the film sold 24,496 tickets across 3,503 shows, generating Rs 81.58 lakh net from these bookings. With the inclusion of block bookings and premium formats, the total Day 1 advance collection stands at Rs 1.85 crore net.
Despite modest early numbers, Kesari Chapter 2 is expected to gather momentum owing to its powerful subject matter and star power. The film, a spiritual sequel to the 2019 blockbuster Kesari, shifts focus to the aftermath of the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, delving deep into the historic courtroom battle that followed.
Akshay Kumar plays C. Sankaran Nair, the Indian lawyer who dared to challenge the British Empire in court, while R. Madhavan portrays Neville McKinley, the lawyer defending the Crown. Ananya Panday plays a supporting role that is expected to bring a modern lens to the historical retelling.
Directed by Rajendra Singh and based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, the film promises to bring to light the lesser-known chapters of Indian history.
Speaking at the premiere in New Delhi, which was attended by politicians and other dignitaries, Akshay admitted his own knowledge of the incident was limited until he read the script.
“I didn’t know about it… I just only knew what happened in Jallianwala Bagh and that’s it. Our history books never taught us about what followed,” Akshay said. “I just hope and pray that the British government watches this film and acknowledges what went wrong. With folded hands, I say this.”
Kesari Chapter 2 is set to release nationwide in theatres on April 18, and trade analysts predict that word-of-mouth and patriotic sentiment could give the film a strong weekend boost.