Movie: Jawan
Rating: 2.75/5
Banner: Red Chillies Entertainment
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, Deepika Padukone, Vijay Sethupathi, Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani and others
Screenplay: Atlee & S. Ramanagirivasan
Dialogues: Sumit Arora
Music: Anirudh Ravichander
DOP: GK Vishnu
Editing: Ruben
Production Designer: T Muthuraj
Action: Spiro Razatos, Anl Arasu, Craig Macrae, Yannick Ben, Kecha Khamphakdee & Sunil Rodrigues
Producer: Gauri Khan
Written and Directed by: Atlee
Release Date: Sep 07, 2023
Shah Rukh Khan is back after breaking records with "Pathaan" earlier this year. "Jawan," that introduces Tamil director Atlee and actress Nayanathara, as well as music director Anirudh Ravichander to Bollywood audiences, has generated a lot of buzz. It also set a record for advance booking sales.
Let's see if all of the hype is justified.
Story:
A man and a group of women hijack a Mumbai metro train. He demands a ransom from arms dealer Kali Gaikwad (Vijay Sethupathi) in order to free his daughter. Narmada Rai (Nayanthara), a police officer, is in charge of the entire operation.
Kali Gaikwad wires the funds to the hijacker's account, which is then wired to lakhs of farmer accounts. The hijacker is revealed to be Azad (Shah Rukh Khan), a jailor, and the women are inmates at the jail where he is the officer.
Azad poses as Vikram Rathod and performs all of these actions. Vikram Rathod is his father (Shah Rukh Khan), who is believed to be deceased.
Why is Azad doing this, and why was Vikram Rathod labeled a traitor?
Artistes’ Performances:
Shah Rukh Khan appears in a variety of looks. He's at his best and holds the film together with his magnetic screen presence and star power. He goes all out to play a completely massy role. Shah Rukh Khan shines in the train hijacking sequences and as the older man Vikram Rathod in the second half.
Deepika Padukone, who plays Iswarya, makes a brief appearance and shines.
Nayanthara as an officer, loosely based on the officer's role in Money Heist, does justice. As the main antagonist, Vijay Sethupathi delivers an enthralling performance.
Sanjay Dutt makes a brief appearance as well.
Technical Excellence:
The film boasts top notch technical and production values. Every frame of the film is rich and grand. Cinematography (GK Vishnu), visual effects, production design and action choreography are the film’s main assets.
Anirudh in his maiden Bollywood debut has given average songs but his background score elevates the film.
Highlights:
Shah Rukh Khan’s performance and swag
The metro train hijack episode
Racy screenplay
Grand making
Drawback:
Scenes are copy of many movies
Looks superficial at many places
Logical issues
Analysis
"Jawan" is an action-packed masala film from start to finish. It doesn't bring anything new to the table in terms of the story or script. However, director Atlee presents it in a grandiose manner that befits Shah Rukh Khan's star charisma.
The first episode, set in a remote region of North East India, sets the tone for the drama, with Shah Rukh Khan portraying a man who has lost his past.
The film immediately transitions to a metro train hijacking scene, clearly inspired by the "Money Heist" series, intensifying the action and drama. It swiftly delves into the backstories of the girls involved in the hijacking. The hijacking episode gains depth through a flashback story about a farmer forced to take his own life due to a Rs 40,000 loan debt. Another girl's backstory reveals the grim state of government hospitals.
The screenplay is fast-paced and filled with effective moments, particularly in the first half of the film.
In the second half, Atlee, following the tradition of many Telugu and Tamil masala films, unveils the flashback story of Vikram Rathod, the father character portrayed by SRK. The main confrontation between the hero and the villain takes place in the second half.
Although the second half has some interesting episodes, it tends to be predictable.
Atlee's storytelling often harkens back to old movies, accused of borrowing scenes from classics and presenting them in a grandiose fashion. The main storyline and several episodes in "Jawan" also bear resemblance to various Balayya films and older Shankar films. Additionally, the influence of the web series "Money Heist" is evident.
Director Atlee engages the audience by intertwining each action sequence with an emotional one and delivers world-class action sequences. The graphics and visual effects are also impressive.
Moreover, the film conveys numerous political statements. Without directly criticizing the ruling government, it includes scenes addressing election fraud, the shortcomings of the healthcare system, and how governments prioritize corporate loans over farmer loans. Towards the end, Shah Rukh Khan's character urges people to vote for candidates based on their qualifications rather than their caste or religion.
In summary, “Jawan” is a typical action masala movie that draws inspiration from various South Indian films. However, Shah Rukh Khan's charisma, compelling performance, and the film's grand presentation with a fast-paced screenplay make it worth a watch, despite its familiar elements.
Bottomline: Massy