The Jallianwala Bagh massacre of April 13, 1919, remains one of the darkest and most defining moments in India’s struggle for independence. The brutality of the event—where Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered his troops to fire on an unarmed crowd, killing hundreds—left an indelible mark on the collective memory of the nation. Over a century later, Bollywood has taken significant steps in portraying different facets of this atrocity through three projects, which together form what can be termed an ‘unintended trilogy.’
Starting with Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham (2021), followed by Ram Madhvani’s upcoming The Waking of a Nation, and culminating in Kesari 2—which is based on Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat’s The Case That Shook the Empire—these endeavors explore different aspects of the massacre, its aftermath, and its far-reaching consequences. While not intentionally designed as a trilogy, they together offer a nuanced and layered examination of an event that shaped India’s history.
Sardar Udham (2021): The Assassin’s Revenge
Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham, featuring Vicky Kaushal in the titular role, set the foundation for this cinematic exploration of Jallianwala Bagh. The film focused on Udham Singh, an Indian revolutionary who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer—the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab who had defended General Dyer’s actions during the massacre.
The film masterfully portrayed Udham Singh’s journey, tracing his transformation from a young man devastated by the horrors of the massacre to a determined revolutionary who sought justice. Unlike conventional biopics, Sardar Udham was not just a story of revenge but a haunting psychological study of a man shaped by a traumatic event. Shoojit Sircar took a non-linear narrative approach, intercutting between Udham’s life in revolutionary circles abroad, his eventual assassination of O’Dwyer in London, and the visceral horror of the massacre itself.
The film was widely praised for its realistic portrayal, especially in the harrowing sequence where the full scale of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre is revealed. Unlike other Bollywood films that glorify revenge, Sardar Udham focused on the emotional and psychological toll of colonial oppression. It did not depict Udham Singh as a stereotypical action hero but rather as a deeply affected individual driven by grief and conviction.
While Sardar Udham focused on personal retaliation against British officials responsible for the massacre, the next film in this unintended trilogy—The Waking of a Nation—expands the lens, examining the massacre not just as an isolated event but as part of a larger conspiracy by the British to suppress the Indian independence movement.
The Waking of a Nation: Unraveling the Conspiracy
Ram Madhvani’s The Waking of a Nation is set to take a different approach to the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy by exploring the systemic and premeditated nature of the massacre. Unlike Sardar Udham, which focused on a single man’s quest for vengeance, The Waking of a Nation delves into the political and strategic motivations that led to the British ordering such a brutal crackdown.
The web show which was released on Sony Liv spoke about the intricate events surrounding the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the subsequent Hunter Commission investigation. The series posits that the massacre was not merely the result of General Dyer’s actions but part of a larger, premeditated plan, highlighting themes of colonialism, racism, and systemic prejudice. And presence of a co-conspirator Hans Raj who helped the Britisher in executing their plan.
The narrative unfolds through the perspectives of four friends—a lawyer, a journalist, an ordinary man, and his wife—portraying how the monumental events of 1919 impacted individual lives. This personal lens provides viewers with an intimate connection to the event. By shedding light on the broader conspiracies and the systemic nature of the atrocities committed during the British Raj, the show offered a nuanced exploration of a pivotal moment in India’s struggle for independence.
Kesari : Chapter 2 – The Legal Battle That Shook the Empire
The third and final piece in this unintended trilogy is Kesari: Chapter 2, starring Akshay Kumar and Ananya Panday, which brings to life the story behind one of the most significant legal battles against British rule. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the film is based on Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat’s book The Case That Shook the Empire and will focus on Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair’s fight against British authorities in the aftermath of the massacre.The makers on Monday released the teaser of the film.
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, a distinguished lawyer and former president of the Indian National Congress, was one of the few Indians who openly challenged British rule from within the system. Outraged by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he accused British officials—including Michael O’Dwyer—of complicity in the massacre and of perpetuating policies that enabled such brutal crackdowns.
Nair’s accusations led to a historic defamation trial in London, where he was sued by O’Dwyer for libel. The case became a global spectacle, highlighting the British government’s attempts to silence dissent and control the narrative around colonial atrocities. Though the verdict ultimately favored O’Dwyer, the trial had a lasting impact—it exposed the hypocrisy of the British legal system and further fueled India’s independence movement.
Kesari 2 promises to be a riveting courtroom drama, blending historical accuracy with compelling storytelling. While its predecessor, Kesari (2019), focused on the Battle of Saragarhi, this sequel shifts gears to a different kind of battle—one fought in courtrooms rather than battlefields but just as crucial in India’s struggle for freedom.
The Trilogy’s Collective Impact
While these three were not planned as a trilogy, together they offer a comprehensive exploration of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and its repercussions. Each one tackles a different dimension of the atrocity:
- Sardar Udham presents the personal and emotional cost of the massacre through the lens of Udham Singh’s assassination of O’Dwyer.
- The Waking of a Nation examines the larger political machinations and British conspiracy behind the massacre.
- Kesari 2 brings the legal and intellectual fight against colonial injustice to the forefront.
This cinematic exploration is significant because, for many years, Bollywood largely avoided stories about Jallianwala Bagh. While references to the massacre have appeared in films like Gandhi (1982) and Rang De Basanti (2006), they were often brief and not the central focus. These recent films finally give the massacre the nuanced, detailed, and emotionally powerful depiction it deserves.
The resurgence of interest in Jallianwala Bagh-related stories also reflects a broader shift in Bollywood’s historical narratives. More than ever, filmmakers are willing to tackle difficult, often politically charged subjects with depth and authenticity. With these three films, Bollywood has not only revived public memory of a crucial historical event but also provided a layered, multi-dimensional perspective on its significance.
