Akshay Kumar struck an emotional chord at the Delhi premiere of Kesari: Chapter 2 on April 15, urging moviegoers to put their phones away and truly engage with the story unfolding on screen. At the special screening held in Chanakyapuri, the actor appealed to the audience to refrain from scrolling through Instagram or taking calls during the film.

“I humbly request you all to please keep your phones in your pockets and listen to every dialogue of this film. It will mean a lot. If you try to check your Instagram during the movie, it will be a humiliation for the film,” he said, addressing the gathering. His request came with an emphasis on respecting the subject matter and the effort put into the historical drama.

The premiere turned into a high-profile event with several political leaders in attendance, including Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa, and Anurag Thakur. Akshay, along with co-star R. Madhavan, welcomed the dignitaries and audience to the exclusive screening.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa later shared photos and reactions on X, praising the film for its bold narrative and historical significance. “The film is a powerful tribute to the heroes of Jallianwala Bagh,” he wrote, adding that the movie fearlessly exposes uncomfortable truths about India’s political history. Sirsa also drew parallels between the colonial atrocities depicted in the film and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, calling out the Congress for its alleged role in both.

“Watching Kesari: Chapter 2 makes it clear… Congress mirrored the British: suppressing truth, silencing heroes, protecting tyranny,” he wrote in a follow-up post.

Directed by Neeraj Pathak, Kesari: Chapter 2 hits theatres on April 18. The film dives into the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and focuses on the courage of figures like Adv. Sankaran Nair, who stood up against British rule.