Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for acknowledging lawyer and nationalist Chettur Sankaran Nair, a historical figure whom he will portray in his upcoming film Kesari Chapter 2.
On Monday (April 14), Akshay took to his official X account to share a video of the PM in which he is seen remembering Nair during his speech in Haryana.
“Thank you Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for remembering the great Chettur Sankaran Nair ji and his contribution to our freedom struggle. It is so important that we as a nation, especially the younger generation values the great women and men who fought valiantly to ensure that we breathe in a free country,” Akshay wrote.
He added, “Our Kesari Chapter 2, is a humble effort to remind everyone that we must never take our freedom for granted.”
Earlier today, the PM lauded Kerala-born lawyer Chettur Sankaran Nair for his brave fight against the Britishers after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
“The entire nation celebrated Baisakhi yesterday, but it also marked 106 years of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. We pay homage to those who lost their lives during the massacre. There is another aspect to it, which was thrown in darkness. This aspect is ‘manavta ke saath, desh ke saath khade hone ka buland jazbe ka. Is jazbe ka naam hai Sankaran Nair.’ Not many know him, but lately, a lot of conversations are happening around him. He was a renowned lawyer and in those days, he held a very big post in the British era,” PM Modi said while addressing a public gathering in Yamunanagar.
PM Modi highlighted Nair’s fearless stand against the British Empire, praising his efforts to expose the truth behind the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
The tragic incident, which took place on April 13, 1919, saw British troops open fire on unarmed civilians in Amritsar, sparking national outrage and intensifying the struggle for India’s independence.
“He could have enjoyed all the luxuries, but inspired by Jallianwalah Bagh, he raised his voice against British atrocities. He was removed from his post. He was from Kerala and the incident took place in Punjab. Sankaran Nair ensured that the British government was brought to the court of law. He showed what unity and humanity actually mean. We should definitely learn from Sankaran Nair,” PM said.
PM Modi also urged public to remember Nair’s contributions and learn valuable lessons from his life.
“The people of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh should know about Sankaran Nair. Every adult and child should be aware of his contributions. He is a great inspiration,” he added.
It may be mentioned that Akshay is all set to return to the big screen with Kesari 2, in which he will portray the legendary lawyer. The film, also starring R Madhavan and Ananya Panday, is scheduled to hit theatres on April 18.
Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi and produced by Karan Johar, Kesari 2 aims to spotlight a lesser-known but powerful chapter of India’s independence movement, focusing on Nair’s legal battle against colonial injustice.
