Jawan movie review: Baap!

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Movie: Jawan
Director: Atlee
Actors: Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara
Rating: 4/5

Jawan is a rare, mad-actioner, with that many females in the fighting force. Usually, action is perceived as an all-male genre, both from the audience's POV, and those inhabiting it.

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This deliberately feminist subversion works equally for the box-office. No actor in the world has as strong a women fan-club as Shah Rukh Khan (SRK). They will show up in theatres, also because they've been promised two SRKs for the price of one.

That fact deserves no spoiler-alert. You've seen the trailer of Jawan, you know this already from its most loved line: "Bete ko haath lagane se pehle, baap se baat kar (Before you touch his son, talk to the father)."

It got the loudest claps in my hall. The hero plays both father and lookalike son. Which, in director Atlee's solid, self-aware Tamil movie-verse, is a common phenomenon (both Bigil, Mersal; starring ‘Thalapathy' Vijay).

If anything, Papa SRK, in a beard and probably a wig, chomping on a cancer stick between his lips, looks more and more like ‘Thalaiva' Rajnikanth.

The movie's money-shot belongs to this gent, as he unleashes a long, metallic belt to vanquish his enemies on a flying motorcycle - with Madras composer Anirudh's trademarked heavy rock/metal belting in the background. Soon, thereafter, SRK as rugged Rajni Sir, throws his cigar into the gas-tank, blowing up that damn, running motor-bike!

The heroines opposite the lead double-role are the South sensation, Nayanthara, and Bengaluru's OG Deepika Padukone. The villain is the gruff-voiced Vijay Sethupathi, literally eating his own words (had trouble deciphering his speech; loud BGM doesn't help). The crew is inherently Atlee's.

Is this, therefore, Delhi-born Mumbaikar, SRK, who owns Kolkata's favourite cricket team, equally eyeing Chennai, for both market expansion, and inspiration? Hell, yeah. And why not… What's a great entertainer, if it doesn't unite audiences, macha!

And what kinda film is that likely to be? Lyrics in the background score say it all: "Boom, massy, massy, massy, yo!" Centred on the superstar, making a solid entry, altogether covered up in bandages, landing from the sky, in a strange place in India's north-eastern border. That's enough for you to wonder, what happens next.

So, what happens next? Ideally, if you're in the front row, in a cheaper priced multiplex (as I am), surrounded by enthu-cutlets, also up for an 8 am, first day, first show - you lean forward, instead of reclining your seat, rooting for the hero to give his all.

The pleasure is in watching the demonic villains go to hell - whether a feku/liar politician, or corrupt businessman. Some of the incidents in the film are pulled from news headlines, still. And SRK, 57, a genetic marvel, given his stamina, is there to rub his energy off on you.

I have lived long enough to know that you don't simply review movies aimed so directly at the gut, in a dark theatre - you rate the bloody experience! Yes, they can get exhaustingly guttural at times; or often, in fact. That's the genre's prime flaw. Jawan is far from it.

And why's that? Because the film, while a tad long, has strong legs to stand on. In what's the superstar's first, directly in-your-face political film. Also, deeply patriotic. For, what is patriotism, if not care for fellow nationals? At one point, I heard the crowd behind me let out the cry, "Bharat mata ki ji! (Hail, Mother India!)."

Who is SRK's twin characters chiefly fighting against, on behalf of the audience? Big, crony corporations that game elections/democracy to get what they want - bank loans, to arms deals - while the poor continue to suffer, and vote in the same lot again.

Who is SRK fighting with? You can attribute it to the star-producer's cred, earned over three decades, that most actors, particularly in the female force, while in small/walk-on parts, otherwise, play leads in major films/series: Sanya Malhotra (Dangal), Priyamani (The Family Man), Riddhi Dogra (The Married Woman)… Even the men in the cast, with barely a few lines on screen, are the sorts of Sunil Grover, Sanjay Dutt!

At its core, Jawan is a film on vigilante justice, as baldie SRK holds as hostage, the Mumbai Metro train, between Versova and Ghatkopar (I guess, since the rest haven't come up!). A lot like A Wednesday (2008), if you may.

The hijacker demands money to be transferred into accounts of poorest people in debt. It's a crazy thing to ask for. Only less crazy than thousands of crores of debt that the privileged/rich manage to get written off, instead. That's the hero's peeve.

The choreographed heroism being the main point of the pic. It's something we equally witnessed in SRK's last release, the same year. To be sure, Jawan (2023) > Pathaan (2023).

Because it just feels more raw and earthy. Given a beginning, middle, and end, that ties in smartly with the beginning - pieces in the jigsaw fitting in fine. With world-building, which is Atlee's, that's unique to the SRK universe, and a decisive worldview, that draws you in, wholly.

A few years ago, when SRK would've picked the director + script, during a self-imposed sabbatical, he seemed lost at the box-office, while Bollywood itself appeared more sorted. The reverse appeared the case, post-pandemic. Having done his homework, he's unwittingly ended up reviving the Hindi film industry, along with his own career. Jawan is the jawab.

As the superstar, super-confident with his material, ironically understated still, he talks straight to his audience. Telling them what they'd hopefully like to hear.

In this case, the power of the common man/voter. There is enough goofiness in the action and humour (could do with more of the latter), for it to be suitable for children, simultaneously. This is SRK vs system. What's there not to love; c'mon, let's go (I plan to, again)!