Jawan (2023) Review!!!

Synopsis – A high-octane action thriller which outlines the emotional journey of a man who is set to rectify the wrongs in the society.

My Take – Seven months ago saw the return of Shah Rukh Khan to the big-screen following a 4 year hiatus in the spy action thriller ‘Pathaan‘, a film which along with providing unabashed entertainment went on a box-office record-smashing spree, eventually emerging as the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time in India.

However, while the Siddharth Anand directorial once again proved that Shah Rukh Khan had a massive hold over the Indian audience, his second release of the year sees the superstar go one level up, in literally everything, proving why he will always be an icon of Indian cinema.

Armed with his well-known magnetic presence and a compelling story line, here, writer-director Atlee, in his Hindi cinema debut, presents Khan in an all-new avatar and delivers a massy, meaningful action thriller that is throughout an absolute treat. Hitting the bull’s eye both as a feature that is out to entertain and a vehicle that demonstrates the power of a superstar endowed with a voice that is anything but ordinary.

Despite its 169-minute runtime, it makes the most of a screenplay that has things to say and the wherewithal to making its pertinent points without losing its focus on the primary purpose of providing unalloyed entertainment, both by being overly dramatic and by being loaded with high-octane action.

Actually, this is not just a film, but an emotion that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. Whether you are a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan or simply a lover of commercial cinema, this one will remind you why you fell in love with Bollywood in the first place.

Opening in a hilly village on India’s border, where a badly wounded soldier (Shah Rukh Khan) is nursed back to physical health, who also a few months later, despite having lost his memory, springs to the defense of its residents when they are attacked by a band of murderous infiltrators. Moving forward thirty years later, the story follows Azaad (Shah Rukh Khan), a jailer of a women’s prison facility who also moonlights as a vigilante named Vikram Rathore extracting justice on behalf of those who cannot.

Now with the help of six women (Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Leher Khan, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, and Priyadarshini Rajkumar), who have all suffered at the hands of those who wield power, under the guise of an ageing Army Captain, Azaad has hijacked a Mumbai Metro train with more than 300 passengers. An act which puts him in the direct path of NSG officer Narmada Rai (Nayanthara), with whom he negotiates to receive ₹40,000 crores in exchange for the passengers’ lives.

An amount Kaalie Gaikwad (Vijay Sethupathi), the fourth largest global arms dealer, is ready to part with as his daughter Alia (Ashlesha Thakur) is also one of the captives on the train. However, unknown to Narmada and Kaalie, the hijacking is only the beginning of Azaad’s plans, as he remains determined to change how the nation functions, while also extracting his revenge.

Reminiscent of films like Aakhree Raasta (1986) and the sensational Netflix series, Money Heist (La casa de papel), the story shuffles around from being a family revenge drama to a vigilante story. Yes, the songs slow down the pace of the film, but the twists keep you continuously engaged.

Here, director Atlee doesn’t conform to any set templates or tropes and mixes everything that makes for an engaging and entertaining watch. Mention commercial, masala potboiler with action, drama, song and romance and the film has it all in abundance.

I won’t even say don’t apply brains, please do because it highlights some important topics. The nearly three-hour long film tells a compelling tale of prevalent corruption at various levels in the system that affects the common man in the most brutal ways. Without naming names or specifying real-life parallels, it weighs in on crony capitalism, bad loans, farmer suicides, neglected government hospitals, malfunctioning military weapons, election fraud and the plight of a citizenry stripped of access to resources that are rightfully theirs.

It turns the spotlight on apathetic ministers, falsehood-peddling politicians and incompetent and compromised bureaucrats, none of whom are willing to be held accountable for a rotting system. The film delivers its message with great flair but thankfully, at no point it gets preachy.

But what’s most consistent in the film is the top-notch and intricately choreographed action that offers an absolute cinematic experience. All the hype about Hindi cinema meets South Indian cinema makes sense when you see so many slo-mo shots, gravity-defying action with men flying and hero with his demigod status.

Particularly on the chase sequences in the run-up to a rousing climax, director Atlee and his team pull out the stops and come up eye-popping action passages. In the final act, King Khan and Vijay Sethupathi square off in a scene that caps a magnificent crowd-pleaser that blends some sharp writing and a high level of technical finesse.

It helps that director Atlee gives a grand presence on screen to Shah Rukh’s characters in his trademark style. Backed with the powerful music of Anirudh, these characters get that elevation which makes the hero bigger not only from reality but also from the cinema screen.

And of course, the film is a Shah Rukh Khan show from start to end, and it’s double the treat watching him in a dual role. From his heroic entry scene to the fights to dance numbers, there’s nothing that he can’t do and makes you believe in it as well. As a young Azad, he woos with his lover-boy image and as Vikram with grey hair and a cigarette in his mouth, he carries unmatched swag. At 57, SRK particularly bowls you over with his action. Given the amount of action he has done here, it appears that Pathaan was a mere teaser.

Matching the stardom is Vijay Sethupathi who brings his own charm and gravitas. His portions are powerful and menacing. Nayanthara brings freshness and manages to dominate despite an underwritten character. Deepika Padukone, in a special appearance, leaves a powerful mark. In supporting roles, Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, Eijaz Khan, Leher Khan, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Priyadarshini Rajkumar and Sunil Grover play their parts effectively. On the whole, ‘Jawan’ is a wholesome massy entertainer anchored by the enduring charm of the one and only King Khan.