Akshay Kumar to play C. Sankaran Nair, a lawyer in Karan Johar’s pre-independence era film

Mumbai: After their successful collaboration on films such as ‘Kesari’ and ‘Good Newwz’, Akshay Kumar and Karan Johar have announced their latest project, a film inspired by the life of C. Sankaran Nair.

The movie is set during the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. On Friday, the makers released the poster announcing the release date of the untitled film. Taking to Instagram, Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions shared a poster and wrote in the caption, “An untold story, an unheard truth. Starring Akshay Kumar, R. Madhavan & Ananya Panday – this untitled film is releasing in cinemas on 14th March, 2025. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi.” The text on the poster reads, “The Untitled film on the shocking cover-up of a massacre that pushed India’s top barrister C. Sankaran Nair to fight an unprecedented battle against the British empire.

The film is inspired from real life events and adapted from the book “The Case That Shook The Empire” written by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat.” For the unversed, the book, The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man’s Fight for the Truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre explores a defamation lawsuit initiated by Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, against Chettur Sankaran Nair, a former member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. C. Sankaran Nair was a significant Indian lawyer, politician and reformer who was instrumental in the country’s fight for independence. Directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, the forthcoming courtroom drama is said to center on Akshay Kumar, who will be play a lawyer in the pre-independence era film.

The movie is bankrolled by Karan Johar and Apoorva Mehta’s Dharma Productions, Akshay Kumar’s Home production Cape of Good Films, and Leo Media Collective. The film will be released in cinemas on March 14, 2024. This project marks Akshay’s first collaboration with Madhavan and Ananya. Besides this film, Akshay Kumar is preparing for multiple significant releases, including ‘Housefull 5’ and ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. On the other hand, R Madhavan will be seen in Aditya Dhar’s untitled film alongside Ranveer Singh, Sanjay Dutt, and Arjun Rampal.

–IANS