2019 · Film
Kesari
Anurag Singh's war drama in which Akshay Kumar plays Havildar Ishar Singh, who leads 21 Sikh soldiers against thousands of tribesmen at the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Kesari is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
With subscription
Choose the 2019 Hindi film; a 2020 Marathi film also called Kesari is listed separately
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026Open ↗
The story
It is 1897 on the North-West Frontier of British India. Havildar Ishar Singh of the 36th Sikhs defies his British officer to rescue an Afghan woman from tribesmen, and is sent as punishment to Saragarhi, a small signalling post between two larger forts. He finds the small garrison there undisciplined and sets about turning them into a unit. Meanwhile a cleric unites the Afghan tribes, and a vast army begins to gather in the hills beyond the post.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A war film for viewers who like true stories of last stands and battlefield heroism. It is rated U/A and runs two and a half hours, much of the second half is extended, bloody combat, so it is better for teens and adults than young children.
action-packedinspiringemotional
Genres:War and patrioticHistoricalTrue storiesAction
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Kesari is based on the Battle of Saragarhi of 1897, in which 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikhs regiment of the British Indian Army defended their post against an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 Afridi and Orakzai Pashtun tribesmen. Karan Johar's Dharma Productions produced it with Zee Studios, Cape of Good Films and Azure Entertainment, and filming ran through 2018.
The film opened in cinemas on 21 March 2019, during Holi, on about 4,200 screens worldwide, and it came to Prime Video in May 2019. Bollywood Hungama puts its worldwide gross at ₹207.09 crore, including ₹182.30 crore in India. It received eight nominations at the 65th Filmfare Awards, including Best Actor for Akshay Kumar, and B Praak won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Teri Mitti". It began a franchise: Kesari Chapter 2, a historical courtroom drama, followed on 18 April 2025.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Historical war drama, Action
- Runtime
- 150 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Anurag Singh
- Cast
- Akshay Kumar, Parineeti Chopra, Suvinder Vicky, Vansh Bharadwaj, Ashwath Bhatt
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Kesari in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Kesari is streaming in India on Prime Video with a subscription.
- Is Kesari in Hindi?
- Yes. Kesari is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Kesari suitable for children?
- Kesari has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Kesari?
- Kesari runs for 2 hours 30 minutes (150 minutes).