City actor’s big break with Kesari

Neha Saini

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 18

Known as history’s one of the greatest last stands, the Battle of Saragarhi has caught the fancy of Bollywood’s A-listers for quite some time. Now, with Akshay Kumar starring and Anurag Singh-directed Kesari all set to released this Holi, the film about 21 brave Sikh soldiers fighting till their last breath against an army of 10,000 Afghan tribals can’t get grander and more fascinating.

A part of the ensemble cast of the film is young Adhrit Sharma, who plays the character of Uttam Singh, one of the 21 soldiers from the then 4th Battalion of Sikh Regiment. Sharma, like every debutant, cannot keep calm. “It’s a great story, a real story of men who were brave and fierce and to be part of such a big project is a big deal for me. Before the film, I had known little about the history of Battle of Saragarhi, but during the course of the film, we had to research extensively to understand each character,” says Sharma.

A product of Kewal Dhaliwal’s theatre company, Sharma had done theatre extensively till he moved to Mumbai. “I did small roles in films like Shamitabh, Ki&Ka and did three web series. But Kesari is my big break.’

The newcomer is all praises for his co-star and lead of the film, Akshay Kumar. “He is a grounded actor. He used to arrive at the set early morning while we were still getting dressed up for our characters. He used to play cricket with us post shoots and was very attentive towards all the actors. Anurag Singh, too, is a patient director, who never lost his cool on and off sets.”

Adhrit says the Battle of Saragarhi needs to be told to every young Indian. “During films research, I found that not much is known about the background of the martyrs and the battle itself. It seems to be lost in time. But I hope that this great story of courage and sacrifice is told to the coming generations.”