Kesari Chapter 2 director defends Ananya Panday, says "audience gave her love, I would like to look at the positive"

Ananya Panday and Akshay Kumar star in Kesari 2

Kesari Chapter 2 directed by debutante Karan Singh Tyagi, gained critical acclaim upon its release.

Akshay Kumar and R. Madhavan have been praised for their performances, but Ananya Panday, who played the role of Dilreet Gill, was criticized for her acting and pronunciation in the movie.

In an interview with News18, the film's director addressed the criticism levelled at Ananya.

Karan expressed gratitude to the crowd for their support during her film's opening saying, "The audiences have given her character so much love that I would like to look at the positive. I would like to look at the love that she’s getting. Two days ago, there was a screening in Hyderabad. Some people sent me videos from there. The audience was clapping at her entry scene. She was one female lawyer in a room filled with men. And that in itself is the perfect response to all the negative comments."

He also voiced unhappiness with the present social media era, in which senseless hatred has become a common practice.

He said, "That's the age we're living in. People are quick to draw conclusions. There are clickbait headlines published, but as they say, kuch toh log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna (people enjoy talking). We just need to put our heads down and work. I support opposition and criticism because it allows you to learn. However, I see a lot of pointless hate on social media today, and it can become poisonous at times. It is tragic! This is the negative consequence of social media, and we must learn to live with it."

Karan also said that Ananya Panday's performance in Gehraiyaan moved him, inspiring him to offer her the role of Dilreet Gill.

He appreciated her commitment to Kesari Chapter 2, noting that she had nearly a year of dialect instruction and extensively studied the demeanor of female attorneys.

Also Read - Fawad Khan starrer Abir Gulaal likely to face ban in India after Pahalgam attack, theatre owners hesitant to screen film with 'Pakistani actor'

As part of her preparation, she went to the Bombay High Court to witness a female lawyer in action.

The historical courtroom drama, produced by Dharma Productions, Leo Media Collective, and Cape of Good Films, stars Akshay Kumar as Advocate C. Sankaran Nair, R. Madhavan as Advocate Neville McKinley, and Ananya Panday as Dilreet Gill, with Regina Cassandra, Simon Paisley Day, Alexx O'Nell, and Amit Sial in supporting roles.

Based on Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat's The Case That Shook the Empire, the film follows C. Sankaran Nair, who launched a court struggle against the British to learn the truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. In six days, the film grossed ₹64.4 crore globally, thanks to a good audience response.