Anurag Singh: Had to do extensive homework on British warfare technique

A still from Mad Max: Fury Road and Akshay Kumar in Kesari

The Battle of Saragarhi is a well-known chapter of our history," starts off Anurag Singh, the director of Akshay Kumar-starrer Kesari. The Karan Johar production is a retelling of the 1897 battle that saw 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Indian Army fight the 10,000-strong troop of Afghani tribesmen in the Saragarhi outpost.

Considered one of history's greatest last stands, the subject had caught the attention of many filmmakers. "I was approached by Salman Khan Films, which was co-producing the drama along with Dharma. They later opted out and Dharma took over. This film fell in my lap."

Anurag Singh

Since a major portion of the film takes place on the battlefield, roping in an experienced action director was crucial. The team found their man in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) stunt coordinator Lawrence Woodward. Singh says that despite being distanced from Indian history, Woodward was able to employ the battle techniques that were prevalent in the 19th century.

"He did extensive homework on the warfare techniques brought in by the British. He knew how to handle the old guns that we had sourced for the film. He took a while to adjust to the Indian working model because this was his first Bollywood film. Between him and Parvez bhai [Sheikh, action director], they took the action notches above what was conceptualised."

Lawrence Woodward

The period drama, he says, is a product of several months of research. "We referred heavily to Gurinder Pal Singh Josan's book [The Epic Battle of Saragarhi]. He researched the subject for 25 years and was able to locate the families of the 21 martyrs. Amarinder Singh's research on Saragarhi and The Defence of the Samana Forts came handy."

Singh credits Kumar for being a pillar of strength as he gave shape to his Bollywood debut. "Senior actors like Akshay bring heft to such parts and stories. He added fervour [to his character] over and above what was written on paper."

Also Read: What exactly happened on the sets of Akshay Kumar's Kesari?

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