Jawan movie review: Shah Rukh Khan and his ‘daddy era’ have enough ammunition to set every inch of the screen on fire.
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Sunil Grover, Rutuja Shinde, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Lehar Khan, Ridhi Dogra, Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt (cameos)
Director: Atlee
Writers: Atlee, Sumit Arora, Ramanagirivasan
‘Pehle kiya chaiyya chaiyya re, ab karein ta ta thaiyya.’ Well, that’s exactly how Shah Rukh Khan makes you dance to his tunes in his latest offering, Jawan. 25 years ago, the superstar, clad in a red jacket, dancing atop a moving train, gave Indian cinema one of its most iconic moments. In 2023, director Atlee ‘wraps’ him up with his brand of cinema and sets him in motion to deliver one of the most enjoyable crowd-pleasers in recent times.
What’s Yay: Shah Rukh Khan..uhhh Vikram Rathore, naam toh suna hoga?, Action sequences, Interval block, Anirudh’s terrific background score
What’s Nay: Rushed screenplay, average songs
Story
Jawan opens in a remote, picturesque village on India’s border where a boy spots a body floating in the river. One of the inhabitants nurses the badly-injured man to health. A few months later, when a bunch of murderous infiltrators attack the hamlet and shed blood, the rescued stranger, wrapped in medicinal bandages, knocks them down all dead before a major revelation.
Three decades later, a bald man (Shah Rukh Khan) and his squad of six mysterious women take a Mumbai Metro train hostage to make a loud statement. The reason for this hijack is revealed through tiny flashbacks.
After hoodwinking special investigator Narmada (Nayanthara) who had stepped in as a negotiator, the bald man peels off his prosthetic pate and it’s revealed to the audience that he is Azad, a jailer in Belamvada jail. The women in his gang are actually convicts from his prison. When not making prosthetic legs and uniforms in the jail, they are busy assisting Azad in exposing the rotten system and doing their bit for mankind.
Azad has a past connection with his work place that soon makes him lock horns with a shrewd industrialist Kalee (Vijay Sethupathi) who is ready to destroy anyone who is a threat to his empire. When a figure from Azad’s past enters the battlefield, it’s double trouble for our Mr Bad Guy.
Direction
Atlee with his hattrick of Tamil hits steps in the world of Hindi cinema with Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan. In this process, he doesn’t shy away from borrowing elements from his own work- multiple identities (Theri, Mersal), frequent flashbacks, a whistle-podu entry scene for his hero (three in case of his latest release) and a socio-political theme (multiple here ranging from farmers’ suicides, crumbling healthcare to malpractices in voting).
When Atlee gets Shah Rukh Khan to pull off a partially masked hero like Vikram’s Anniyan and deliver vigilante justice, you know it’s Shankar’s protégé at work. Despite following a familiar template, Atlee manages to achieve what a major chunk of Hindi filmmakers have failed to do in many years! Present Shah Rukh Khan in the massiest way possible!
Jawan is a major fan service right from the first frame till the last. The story is predictable. We have watched it umpteen times on screen. But then, in Shah Rukh Khan and Atlee we trust. The actor-director duo pack in enough ‘masala’ to spice up the ride. If Pathaan had Shah Rukh Khan dishing out meta-references, Jawan takes it up by a notch. There’s a Simba-Mufasa reference which hits too close to home.
When it comes to the slips, Atlee and his co-writers needed to put in some more hours in the screenplay. Except for a few one-liners, the dialogues lack zing. You sense contrived writing in many places. Thankfully, every time this happens, Atlee throws a massy punch and creatively-designed action set pieces to keep you hooked to the screen.
Performances
After 31 glorious years in Hindi cinema, Shah Rukh Khan finally gets to play his own version of ‘Angry Young Man’ on the celluloid with Jawan. It’s refreshing to watch the ultimate epitome of romance go full-on mass to deliver ‘seetis and taalis’ from the audience.
While Pathaan was a befitting reply to haters who were awaiting a doom for the star, Jawan makes him break the fourth wall and urge the public to recognize the power of their finger with which they vote. Right from the start, the actor has us wrapped around his finger with his charm, swagger and style. One can sense SRK having a lot of fun while playing the grizzled, cigar-chomping Vikram Rathore, the father and that madness travels to the audience as well.
You can’t take your eyes off Nayanthara when she means strict business, goes all guns blazing or uses her fists. On the flip side, she’s served an undercooked love track with Shah Rukh Khan. Those eager to witness some enchanting chemistry between the two, your wait just got longer.
Vijay Sethupathi with his deadpan expression and wry humour is enough to lift up a lazily-crafted nemesis. His final showdown with King Khan is entertaining to the core.
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The girl gang comprising of Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, Rutuja Shinde, Girija Oak, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya and Lehar Khan lend a solid support. Ridhi Dogra and Sunil Grover make the most out of their respective roles.
Deepika Padukone makes you smile, love and even shed a tear in her brief yet impactful role. Psst, a ‘khalnayak’ drops by for a fun-filled cameo.
Technical Aspects
G.K Vishnu’s slick visuals elevate the film and keep you on your toes. Ruben’s razor-sharp editing makes Jawan a compelling watch.
Music
The place where Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan stumbles a bit is the songs department. Except for ‘Chaleya’ and ‘Not Ramaiya Vastavaiya’, none of the tracks leave a lasting impression. However, music composer Anirudh pulls out an ace when it comes to the background score. The rousing BGM gives you adrenaline rush when the characters are at play.
Verdict
After defeating a bunch of opponents, Shah Rukh Khan, with his shadow looming on the temple deity, asks, ‘Main kaun hoon?’ The answer to that lies in Jawan. There might be wounds, there might be bandages. But, India’s beloved superstar surely knows how to turn his scars into stars.
