He was always King of hearts, but now he seems to be the King of box office too. King Khan starrer Jawan has continued to make headlines and break new records every single day since it has hit the theatres worldwide. Unlike Gadar 2, which was a blockbuster in the domestic market, but failed to win hearts globally, Jawan struck a chord with people beyond geographical boundaries.
After diligently trying to secure a ticket to watch Jawan at my local cinema in Leeds, and failing due to full houses, I can say the wait was worth it and I can now share my honest review of perhaps one of Shahrukh Khan’s best action roles till date.
Overall, King Khan’s movie delivers on audience expectations from a Shah Rukh Khan (SRK) film. There’s drama, action, romance, dance, and songs. What Jawan does different is that it carefully steps into the boundaries of social and political messaging, something which is rare in Bollywood flicks these days.
SRK plays a double role, of a father and a son. We won’t get into details of names of the characters in order to not reveal any spoilers. The characters have one thing in common, they are honest citizens of the country and fighting against the corrupt system.
SRK and his team of six girls, go across the country, planning “attacks”, but ensure no ordinary citizen is hurt. The villain for the system soon becomes a hero for the common men as the movie progresses. That’s when Sunil Grover’s character, as in the trailer says, “sab iske fans hue pade hain” (Everyone is his fan).
Directed by Atlee, the movie has all the flavours of a pan India movie, combining Bollywood style with the action of the South and Atlee’s signature, a film with a social message.
The movie raises various issues; farmer suicides, faulty healthcare, system’s support for corrupt businessmen whose huge loans are waived off among others. The issues are raised in a careful manner, not making them too preachy.
SRK through his character asks people to vote wisely and questions those who are voted.
The action sequences and SRK’s gang is clearly inspired by Netflix’s hit series, Money Heist. SRK being the ‘doctor’ in the context of Jawan. Even though an inspiration, these scenes manage to grab eyeballs and impresses viewers with some high-octane stunts.
On and off various characters too seem inspired by other movies and series.
A mafia is shown dressed as Bane from Batman, whereas one of SRK’s look seem to be inspired from ‘Aparachit’.
Vijay Sethupathi as ‘Kali’ the villain, a corrupt arms dealer, makes his mark with his presence. He isn’t one of your big bodied powerful villains, like usual Bollywood movies portray. He is shown as a cunningly evil character who deals with mind and money games and attacks through his team of goons.
The screentime is dominated by SRK and his team, while Vijay couldn’t get as much screentime as he should have. However, with a limited screentime, Vijay does manage to be impactful and create that evil aura whenever he appears.
Nayanthara’s fresh pairing with SRK as his wife too fails to make the impact that the audience would have expected.
The film is carried by SRK and his team of girls. Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt play an impactful cameo in the movie too.
Music director Anirudh has delivered a spectacle when it comes to the music of the film. The purview theme for the movie is energetic, the songs make you want to dance along, while the background score keeps the audience intact with what’s going on.
The story manages a series of flashbacks in a very organised manner, while the cinematography of the movie makes it fit for a 3D watch, even though it actually isn’t.
In summary, the film seamlessly balances the right blend of masala and action while delivering a poignant social message. The film’s only discernible flaw lies in its slightly rushed pacing as it unfolds. So, it’s deserving of a 3.5 out of 5.
Jawan is out in cinemas worldwide and since releasing on 7 September it has earned over Rs 500 crore which is approximately £48m in just five days.
