Overview
A gripping tale of valor and sacrifice during one of history's most legendary battles.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- rousing
- solemn
- patriotic
- historical movie night
- bollywood action marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's technical scale and committed performances while finding its pacing uneven and its patriotic historical treatment reductive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The 21 Sikh soldiers defend Saragarhi against an invading force of approximately 10,000 Afghans.
Havildar Ishar Singh leads a platoon whose solidarity and coordinated defense define the battle.
The narrative presents the soldiers' defense of the frontier as an emblem of courage, duty, and Sikh valor.
The 151-minute period production dramatizes a famous frontier battle through large-scale military action and cinematic combat imagery.
Films like Kesari, and why
300
historical war drama centered on a heroic last stand and collective sacrifice
Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior
Indian historical action epic emphasizing battlefield spectacle, patriotism, and martial valor
Uri: The Surgical Strike
period war film combining nationalist sentiment, military camaraderie, and overwhelming opposing forces
The Last Samurai
large-scale historical action drama about soldiers defending a besieged position against superior numbers
Movie Details
- Director
- Anurag Singh
- Release Date
- 2019-03-21
- Runtime
- 151 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (127)
Cast
- Akshay Kumar
- Parineeti Chopra
- Mir Sarwar
- Ashwath Bhatt
- 'Om' Rakesh Chaturvedi
- Suvinder Vicky
- Vivek Saini
- Vansh Bhardwaj
- Pritbal Pali
- Vikram Kochhar
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Kesari about?
- A Sikh havildar and his tiny platoon make a defiant stand against overwhelming Afghan forces in a rousing yet tragic account of the Battle of Saragarhi.
- What is Kesari like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Kesari as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Kesari violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Kesari as graphic.
- What did critics think of Kesari?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's technical scale and committed performances while finding its pacing uneven and its patriotic historical treatment reductive.
- Which films are like Kesari?
- Films with a similar feel include 300, Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, Uri: The Surgical Strike, and The Last Samurai.
- How long is Kesari?
- Kesari runs 151 minutes.
- Where can I watch Kesari?
- In United States, Kesari streams on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix Standard with Ads, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
