Star cast: Suniel Shetty, Vivek Oberoi, Sooraj Pancholi, Akanksha Sharma, Aruna Irani, Kiran Kumar, Barkha Bisht, Himanshu Malhotra
Director: Prince Dhiman
Set in the 14th century, the action-period drama, which is based on a true story, starts with a small tale of how Somnath Temple was constructed. In the kingdom of Arthila, a mother (Barkha Bisht) tells his little youngest son Hamirji Gohil that Lord Shiva will always protect people and guide them towards kindness.
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However, soon after some time, the Tughlaq dynasty invades the country and starts ruling India. They not only steal gold and precious things but also showcase their tyranny towards women and children. Now, Hamirji Gohil who is a grown-up man (Sooraj Pancholi) does what he can do best to protect his people from Tughlaqs.
Apart from looting people, Tughlaqs also try to destroy Hindu temples and force them to convert to Islam, however, the Bhil community (who are devotees of Shiva) and their head Vegdaji (Suniel Shetty) prevent a Shiv temple from getting destroyed.
Now, the Sultan of the Tughlaq dynasty (Kiran Kumar) wants to attack Saurashtra as it has a lot of precious ornaments including gold. He handles this responsibility to his menacing and cruel vizier Jallaludin Zafar Khan (Vivek Oberoi), who also wants to be the Sultan eliminating the current one. He challenges Hamirji that not only he will loot all the gold but will also destroy Somnath Temple.
Now, Hamirji along with Vedgaji and his Bhil community come together and fight against Zafar’s huge army to protect their sacred temple. Who will win this epic battle?
Kesari Veer is filled with visually appealing moments, which shows the grandeur of the movie but unfortunately, the Prince Dhiman directorial, which is co-directed by Kanubhai Chauhan, fails to turn it into a gripping or an engaging affair.
The screenplay looks dull and longtime with no highlights. The unnecessary songs further hamper the storytelling as they break the rhythm of the narrative. After a runtime of over 2 hours and 40 minutes, you feel exhausted.
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Talking about the performances, Sooraj Pancholi has put his best foot forward as Hamirji, on the other hand, debutant Akanksha Sharma as Rajal has a luminous screen presence but has a long way to go. Suniel Shetty has done his part well while Vivek looked menacing as Zafar though it does not match up to his previous path-breaking performances.
On the whole, Kesari Veer is a wasted potential opportunity, which could have turned out into an engaging magnum opus.
Rating 2 (out of 5 stars)
Kesari Veer is playing in cinemas
