Kesari Chapter 2: Meet British Actor Who Plays 'Butcher Of Amritsar' General Dyer In Film Based On Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Kesari Chapter 2: The trailer of Akshay Kumar , R Madhavan and Ananya Panday starrer was released to much anticipation and quickly got fans hooked. The film, directed by Karan Singh Tyagi, tells the story of what happened in the aftermath of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar in April 1919, which resulted in the deaths of 1650 innocent men, women and kids.

Behind the mindless and brutal killing was the brigadier general REH Dyer of the British Empire. While Kesari Chapter 2 brings to light the unsung hero Sir C Sankaran Nair, who fought tooth and nail to bring justice to the innocent lives lost and their families, at the center of the narrative is also the cruel General Dyer, who ordered the public shootout of Sikhs peacefully gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh. In Kesari Chapter 2, the role of Dyer has been essayed by the British actor Simon Paisley Day. The trailer suggests that Paisley may manage to evoke the horror of the massacre and the cruelty of Dyer.

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Who is Simon Paisley Day?

Simon Paisley Day is a popular British screen and theatre actor whose career spans over three decades. He began primarily as a stage actor, also lending his voice to radio plays, before he transitioned to the screen and played varied roles in TV and movies.

Paisley's career began with the stage, while he also kept taking up roles on TV shows simultaneously. On stage, he featured in popular play adaptations of writers like Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare, John Buchan, Bruce Norris and many more. In Shakespeare's adaptations, he played varied roles like Petruchio, Malvolio, Iachimo, Horatio and Ajax. This showed his range to directors and casting agents and helped him get roles on TV.

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On the small screen, Paisley first featured in BBC's Red Dwarf. He also played roles in the popular series Doctor Who, The Last Detective, The Musketeers and more. His most popular shows have been Netflix's The Crown and the Benedict Cumberbatch-starrer Sherlock.

While Paisley was a known name in TV and theatre circles, his big screen debut happened later on. His first movie was Churchill: The Hollywood Years in 2004. His other popular roles in the movies have been in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Victoria & Abdul and Brexit: The Uncivil War. Now, Paisley is all set for his Bollywood debut with Kesari: Chapter 2, where he will essay the role of one of the most hated personalities from the British rule in India, General Reginald Dyer.

Who was General Reginald Dyer?

General Dyer ordered his policemen to open fire at a large crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, Punjab , British India, during the annual Baisakhi fair in April 1919. The people, which included women, men and kids of all ages, had gathered to protest against the Rowlatt Act. 

Dyer blocked all exits of the Jallianwala Bagh and reigned fire as protesters attempted to flee. In the aftermath of the massacre, the ineffective inquiry against Dyer, fuelled great widespread anger against the British. This led to the non-cooperation movement of 1920–22. A book written by Nigel Collett describes Dyer as the Butcher of Amritsar.