Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 11: Filmmaker Karan Johar has strongly condemned recent remarks made by Caroline Dyer, the great-granddaughter of General Dyer, the British officer responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The comments came to light during a viral video in which Caroline referred to massacre survivor Balwant Singh as a “looter” while speaking with Raj Kohli, Balwant’s great-nephew.
Speaking at a press conference for his upcoming historical drama ‘Kesari Chapter 2’, Johar did not mince words.
“Not just as an Indian, but as a human being with basic empathy, I was outraged. That video was deeply disrespectful to the thousands of innocent lives lost,” he said.
Johar added that it was appalling for Caroline Dyer to make such a statement, especially considering the sensitive historical context.
“How dare she? These were unarmed people gathered to celebrate Baisakhi, and they were mercilessly gunned down. And now, over a century later, someone has the audacity to call them looters?”
Karan further pointed out that even General Dyer had once admitted he “only stopped firing when the bullets ran out,” a chilling detail that remains etched in Indian history.
“She’s claiming he had love for India? What kind of love results in a massacre? It’s pure delusion,” Johar said, adding that he has no desire to meet Caroline.
He concluded his remarks with raw emotion:
“Khoon khaulta hai when I see that video. It’s not just insulting to Indians—it’s insulting to humanity. She owes an apology.”
The controversy has coincided with the buzz around Johar’s latest production, ‘Kesari Chapter 2’, which stars Akshay Kumar as C. Sankaran Nair, the fearless lawyer who took on the British Empire in the courtroom following the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy.
The film also features Ananya Panday as a law student and R. Madhavan as Neville McKinley, a British official. A sequel to the 2019 film Kesari, which depicted the 1897 Battle of Saragarhi, this chapter shifts focus to the courtroom drama that followed the massacre.
Kesari Chapter 2 is set to release on April 18, and its recently launched trailer has already sparked emotional and patriotic reactions from audiences.