section_path: Production/Development
section_name: Development
paragraph_text: Development
  
  The film was initially titled Shankara, then it was renamed as Kesari Chapter 2 in February 2025 to establish a thematic link with Kesari (2019). It was officially announced by Karan Johar on 22 March 2025. It is based on the life of C. Sankaran Nair who fought against the British Raj to uncover the truth about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the 1919 British Army massacre of Indian protesters in Amritsar. Advocate Neville McKinley was a fictional character that was an amalgamation of ten different historical figures.
  
  The film was initially titled Shankara, then it was renamed as Kesari Chapter 2 in February 2025 to establish a thematic link with Kesari (2019). It was officially announced by Karan Johar on 22 March 2025. It is based on the life of C. Sankaran Nair who fought against the British Raj to uncover the truth about the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the 1919 British Army massacre of Indian protesters in Amritsar. Advocate Neville McKinley was a fictional character that was an amalgamation of ten different historical figures.