Kesari Veer – A Historical Epic That Turns Into a Masterclass in Cinematic Misjudgment

2025 isn’t even halfway done yet, and yet I have already encountered what I can confidently call the worst movie of the year. I walked into Kesari Veer with mild curiosity, fuelled by the whispers that it was “bad,” but I walked out wanting to sit silently somewhere and question my life choices. There are films that test your patience; this one tested my emotional stamina. I genuinely felt like crying at multiple points – not because the story was emotional, but because my inner film lover begged for mercy.

For many years, my day-to-day life has revolved around analysing movies. I’ve watched films across genres, budgets, languages, artistic intentions, and ideologies. Only a handful of them have ever left me completely speechless. Kesari Veer proudly joins that elite list, but for all the wrong reasons. I truly had no words when the lights came up, except a looping inner voice that kept saying, “Arre arre arre re re – what are you doing?”

How Curiosity Turned Into Catastrophe

This Friday saw the release of several films. I had already reviewed one. The second on my list was Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, but when it wasn’t showing anywhere near me, I refused to travel across the city. Then I heard about a third film – this one – and that it was supposedly terrible. Naturally, my curiosity kicked in: How bad could it be?

Well… I found out. And the answer is: very, very, unimaginably bad.

There were countless moments in the movie when I lost count of how many times I reacted with genuine disbelief. One of them involved the main actor swinging a sword and somehow turning into a helicopter. I repeat – a helicopter. At this point, it was no longer cinema; it was a chaotic fever dream.

Modern filmmakers ask themselves one question while designing action: “How epic can we make this?” But the team behind Kesari Veer seems to have been on a mission to outdo even the most exaggerated fantasy content – except without the creativity or the budget required. They wanted grandiosity so badly that logic, physics, and visual coherence were thrown out of the window.

When Style Suppresses Sanity

In their attempt to create a heroic image, the makers decided that fighting blindfolded wasn’t special enough. So the hero fights with his eyes closed, sword-swings slicing through the air with supernatural precision while his family is dying in the background. The message seems to be: “Let danger wait, first let me show some style.”

This is where the film reminded me of those “Bhai-jaan” movies from a decade ago – where shirts would tear open due to the wind or divine intervention. If you once thought that was absurd, Kesari Veer will make you re-evaluate. Its shirt-ripping scene is so unintentionally hilarious that it makes Salman Khan’s slow-motion sweaters look realistic. This film pushes the boundaries of cinematic ridiculousness in ways I didn’t think possible.

The Story That Had Potential – But Never Respect

Let me attempt a proper introduction. The film is titled Kesari Veer. The story revolves around a historically important chapter – when the Tughlaq empire allegedly attacked the Somnath Temple and a group of brave warriors defended it.

It’s an admirable decision to bring such a narrative to the big screen. History-based films must be treated with sincerity, accuracy, and emotional responsibility. But Kesari Veer fails spectacularly in delivering even a fraction of that responsibility. For most of its 2 hour 40 minute runtime, I felt like the film was manipulating my sentiments – national, cultural, religious – just to trigger quick reactions.

The filmmakers seemed to ask themselves: “What is trending? What will instantly trigger emotions? Let’s use that.” But somewhere between that calculation and the execution, cinema died.

This film is so poorly made that Akshay Kumar’s Samrat Prithviraj suddenly feels Oscar-worthy. I would willingly sit through Arjun Kapoor’s Panipat again before rewatching this.

A Collection of Random Scenes Masquerading as a Story

At no point does the film feel cohesive. Things just… happen.

They’re fighting on a mountaintop. Suddenly an arrow hits the hero. He grabs the heroine dramatically. Both fall into a waterfall. My only question was: where did the waterfall come from? There wasn’t even a stream in sight moments earlier.

Then, amid preparations for a massive war, the lead characters suddenly get married. No emotional buildup, no narrative transition – just wedding decorations out of nowhere. If the makers wanted to include romance, they could have at least put in the effort to build it.

The action sequences are another disaster altogether. Everything is dusty, overly filtered, drowned in spark effects that look suspiciously like they were downloaded from a YouTube tutorial titled “FREE SPARK VFX.”

And then comes the scene where the hero flips a fully loaded iron cannon – like it’s a plastic prop.

I genuinely don’t know if the makers thought audiences would applaud or simply burst into laughter.

VFX, Editing, and the Unintentional Comedy Factor

Before I criticise the VFX, let me praise the team behind the editing and cinematography – because they saved me the trouble. Their work is so subpar that the VFX hardly even matters. By the time I reached the CGI-heavy scenes, my expectations were already in the negatives.

But then came a moment I will never forget. A cannon fires. Its shell flies out with immense force, hits Suniel Shetty’s character in the stomach, and then lands on the ground looking perfectly harmless – as if it were a toy. It genuinely felt like a spoof of Indian TV serials, except those serials at least have confidence in their madness. Here, the absurdity is unintentional and therefore far more painful.

Performances That Test Patience

Sooraj Pancholi plays the main lead. Vivek Oberoi plays the villain. Suniel Shetty appears in an important supporting role.

Of the three, Vivek Oberoi is the closest thing to a saving grace. His villain feels like a low-budget Alauddin Khilji, but at least he attempts to act. The rest of the cast – especially the lead – performs with such stiffness that wooden planks seem more expressive. Every time Sooraj Pancholi appeared, my brain went numb.

During the interval, I genuinely debated whether to walk out. Why continue torturing myself? But as a reviewer, I decided to sit through the entire thing. Thankfully, that allowed me to find a few positive points – small sparks of hope in a vast ocean of chaos.

The Few Positives: Fleeting Rays of Light

The last five minutes of the final battle scene are surprisingly impressive. Those visuals – five brave warriors standing against an entire army – do carry emotional weight. For a moment, the film actually looks potent and powerful.

But that brief moment cannot save the disaster that precedes and follows it.

Writing Errors That Could Fill a Textbook

The villain is built up as merciless, violent, and cunning. Yet, during a confrontation, the hero challenges him to a running race. Yes – a running race. Vivek cleverly sends a representative on a horse, but despite all this setup, when the hero defeats him, the villain, instead of retaliating, simply lets him go. No logic. No reason. Just confusion.

The side characters also perform with exaggerated “eye-linching” expressions, making me question whether this was indeed acting or an over-energized college rehearsal.

The main female lead appears with tattoos that look like modern heartbeat patterns or cursive designs. Considering the film claims to take place around the 14th or 15th century, this raises eyebrows – followed by laughter.

If there were a B-grade mini-category inside the B-grade section of cinema, Kesari Veer would proudly belong there.

Final Verdict: A Film That Could Have Been Great, But Chooses Chaos Instead

Kesari Veer had all the potential to be a strong, moving, impactful historical drama. But instead of respecting the weight of its chosen subject, it becomes a parade of misjudgements – poor acting, bizarre writing, sloppy editing, exaggerated action, and complete disregard for logic.

Cinema does not need to be a masterpiece every time. But it must carry sincerity, honesty, and effort. Kesari Veer lacks all three.

Rating: 1/5

A painful cinematic experience, redeemed only by a few minutes of passable visuals and Vivek Oberoi’s attempt at a performance.