Karan Singh Tyagi reveals why Akshay Kumar used ‘f***k you’ in Kesari 2: ‘To look the Britishers in the eye and say it for what they have done’ | Hindi Movie News

Akshay Kumar’s latest release, Kesari Chapter 2, has stirred conversations around its bold storytelling—particularly its depiction of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and its aftermath. The film, which recently hit cinemas, features Akshay as C. Sankaran Nair—a prominent lawyer who dared to challenge the British Empire following the tragic events of 1919.
The film has been described as a fictionalised retelling of history, highlighting the brutal crackdown ordered by General Reginald Dyer at Jallianwala Bagh. Set in the post-massacre period, the story follows Nair’s legal and moral battle against the British regime.
One moment that particularly stood out in the trailer was Akshay’s character directly addressing British officers with a strong expletive: “F**k you.” This moment has sparked both support and debate among audiences and historians.

Director Karan Singh Tyagi, in an interview with Filme Shilmy, addressed the inclusion of the controversial phrase. Emphasising that it was not included carelessly, he explained, “It was very important for us to have the ‘fk you’ in the film because, for us, the whole point was to look the British in the eye and say ‘fk you’ for what they have done. So that is the courage we imbibed from Sankaran Nair’s story, and that is the courage we wanted to depict.”
Tyagi added that the team ensured historical context was taken into account when deciding to use such a phrase. According to their research, they realised that the term originated in the 16th century. They conducted further research and consulted historians before including it.
At the trailer launch event, Akshay Kumar was asked about the use of abusive language in the film. In response, the actor shifted attention to another striking line used in the film, saying, “Yes, I used that word. But what’s surprising is that you noticed this, yet the phrase ‘you are still a slave’ was not considered a big insult? I think there can be no bigger insult than that. I would have been happier if you had pointed out that they used the word ‘slave’ rather than focusing on ‘f**k you.’”
Kesari Chapter 2 also stars R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday in pivotal roles. The film was released in cinemas on April 18.