Karan Johar and Akshay Kumar slam General Dyer’s granddaughter for calling Jallianwala Bagh victims ‘looters’

At the press conference for their upcoming film Kesari 2, filmmaker Karan Johar and actor Akshay Kumar sharply condemned recent controversial remarks made by the granddaughter of General Reginald Dyer — the British officer responsible for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Her comment, referring to the massacre victims as “looters,” has triggered widespread outrage.

Akshay Kumar, who portrays freedom fighter C. Sankaran Nair in the historical drama, and Karan Johar, the film’s producer, didn’t hold back in their responses.

Karan Johar expressed deep anger over the statement. “I saw the video and, not just as an Indian, but as a human being with an ounce of empathy, I was infuriated. How dare she call them looters? They were innocent people gathered on Baisakhi, not rioters,” he said. “General Dyer himself admitted he only stopped firing when he ran out of bullets. And she dares to say he loved India? That’s delusional. Her words reflect a complete lack of respect and understanding of history.”

Reflecting on the broader theme of the film, Johar said, “This is not just a movie. It’s a demand for justice. The British government never apologised for what happened. As a nation, we deserve that acknowledgment. Kesari 2 is not only about bravery; it’s about truth and recognition of a dark past.”

Akshay Kumar added, “One nation’s trauma is another’s lesson — and clearly, she never understood that. Saying ‘history is history’ doesn’t erase the pain. I fully agree with what Karan said and the passion with which he said it.”

Kesari 2, based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire, revisits the story of C. Sankaran Nair, the man who legally challenged the British Empire after the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

The film is set to hit theaters on April 18.