Amritsar, April 14 (IANS) Karan Singh Tyagi’s upcoming directorial, "Kesari Chapter 2," is set to release this Friday. Ahead of the film's release, its lead actor Akshay Kumar, along with others, offered prayers at the Golden Temple, Amritsar.

He, along with the other cast of the film-—R. Madhavan and Ananya Panday—later visited Jallianwala Bagh to pay homage to the martyrs. They were accompanied by Punjabi actor Gurpreet Singh Ghuggi and legendary singer Gurdas Maan.

While addressing the media, Akshay, who plays the role of C. Sankaran Nair in the movie, said, “Every year on April 13, people gather in large numbers at Jallianwala Bagh to pay tribute to the victims of the massacre, but very few know about Shankar Nair — the man who raised his voice for the innocent people killed in the 1919 tragedy.” He also mentioned that members of Shankar Nair’s family were invited and honored at the Jallianwala Bagh event.

Akshay also stated that the film highlights a significant chapter of history. "Whenever I watch the trailer or the film itself, it moves me to tears. A lot of effort has gone into making this film, and I urge everyone to watch it with their children so that the next generation remains connected to our history.”

A few days ago, Tyagi praised Akshay Kumar’s performance in the film, saying, “He's been incredible in his support for me. I just want the audience to watch the film because I feel this is one of his best performances. He's heard stories from his grandfather and from his father. So he feels a personal connection to the tragedy.”

On a related note, “Kesari Chapter 2" is based on the book The Case That Shook the Empire, written by Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat, Nair's great-grandson and his wife.

Set against the backdrop of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy, the film is set to release in theatres on April 18.