With over 20 million views in 24 hours since its release, the trailer of Akshay Kumar's "Kesari" has piqued interest about the historic Battle of Saragarhi of 1897. The September 12, 1897 battle, in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), is distinct as 21 Sikhs of the 36th Sikh Regiment (now the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment) of British India, defended an army post against more than 10,000 Afghan and Orakzai tribesmen.

The British government had conferred on the martyred soldiers of the 36th Sikhs its highest battle honour of 'Indian Order of Merit Grade II'. This history has been written about in several books, including in one documentation by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh. The story of valour and patriotism has now found takers in the world of showbiz.