"Kesari" shows glorious army history: Punjab Minister

Chandigarh, March 23 (IANS) Bollywood movie "Kesari" brought into the limelight a long lost but nevertheless a chapter in the annals of the country's glorious military history, Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said here on Saturday.

He also asked movie director Anurag Singh to organise a special screening of the film for the youth of Punjab to connect them with the illustrious past.

"The movie epitomises the 'never say die' spirit of the Sikhs and their steely resolve to not yield an inch despite heavy odds stacked against them besides adhering to the military dictum of fighting to the last man," he said in a statement.

Sodhi said actor Akshay Kumar and the filmmakers have done a marvellous job in highlighting the unparalleled bravery of 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment that on September 12, 1897 during the Battle of Saragarhi faced more than 10,000 tribesmen and fought till the last man leading to enemy casualties in huge numbers.

The minister said Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, a former army officer, had recently penned a book chronicling the martyrdom of the soldiers at Saragarhi.