The question being asked after the riotous response that audiences are giving Akshay Kumar’s ‘Kesari: Chapter 2’ is does the actor do physical action better or verbal? The film that released yesterday and is rocking theatres nationwide, is an intense courtroom battle on whether the April 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar was an act of genocide by the British against innocent Indians.

Akshay plays Sir C. Sankaran Nair, the suave and distinguished Indian lawyer on the Viceroy’s Executive Council. And while it has none of the action of its predecessor, the blockbuster war film ‘Kesari’ of 2019 that saw Akshay in blazing gun battles and gritty sword fights, the sequel has him in a furious cut-and-thrust duel and war of words in court against the British counsel aptly played by R. Madhavan.

Fans of the versatile actor are liking this avatar of Akshay’s as much as they do his daredevil Khiladi persona known for pulling off incredible stunts on screen. It is a bit of a coincidence that Akshay is playing a lawyer in his next release as well. This time he will be Advocate Jagdishwar (Jolly) Mishra, a lawyer known for his unconventional methods and quirky personality, in the third part of the black comedy courtroom drama ‘Jolly LLB 3’.

Audiences that are leaving theatres excitedly cheering, whistling, clapping and shouting “Vande Mataram!” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai!” at the end of ‘Kesari: Chapter 2’, now want more of Akshay in his lawyer’s role. True, nobody does action with his panache and cool, but the actor’s clever way with words, his roaring presence in a court that’s heavily biased in the Crown’s favour, have won audiences everywhere. Praise for ‘Kesari: Chapter 2’ and Akshay is spreading like wildfire and the weekend looks sold out.