JAWAN

Jawan, written and directed by Atlee, has Shah Rukh Khan playing the lead alongside Nayanthara playing his love interest. This villains versus vigilantes conflict satisfies the Mersal and Bigil filmmakers’ predilection for anarchist brand of justice-seeking, frequent flashbacks, leading males in multiple avatars, and dramatic entrance moments designed for applause. To know more read our review here.

STORY

It’s a classic beginning sequence. A battered soldier is recovering somewhere around India’s northern frontiers. People are shot, stabbed, and drowned in a creek in the lovely and idyllic community he’s resuscitating. The soldier rises like a messiah, swooping down with a spear in the face of a thunderous sky. We can’t see his face since it’s wrapped in gauze, but his eyes fill us in. Goosebumps for sure for the SRK fans…

30 years later, we meet Shah Rukh Khan — now portraying a hilarious, wisecracking vigilante with a bald head — as he hijacks a Mumbai metro train. He is aided by a crew of female warriors, the majority of whom have names and a few elite ones have backstories. Alia, the daughter of a dead-eyed arms dealer named Kaali (Vijay Sethupathi with a nasty beard), is also on the train.

Soon enough — spoilers coming — it’s revealed that Khan in the present timeline is actually Azad Rathore, a high-security women’s prison guard who moonlights as an ethical terrorist. Furthermore, Azad is engaged to Narmada (Nayanthara), the fearless negotiator to whom he was making song requests while directing the hijacking.

Narmada, of course, cannot recognize Azaad because he works in disguise. As the number of heists increases, Narmada decides to track down the perpetrators. Would she find out the truth about Azaad? What drives Azaad to carry out such heists? With several subplots, Atlee weaves a complicated drama that jumps back and forth in time.

PERFORMANCE

SRK carries the majority of the movie on his shoulders, aided by his female-led army; it’s a thoughtful, though not groundbreaking, touch. All of the female characters are shown as powerful women.

Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani, and a slew of other women play SRK’s ‘gang of gals,’ who can take on men twice their size.

Nayanthara, who makes her Bollywood debut in Jawan, plays a fierce cop who will not slow down for a second owing to familial emotions when duty calls.

Deepika Padukone’s brief presence is mind-blowing. The antagonist, played by the highly talented Vijay Sethupathi, keeps SRK company and complements him in every scene. Sethupathi elevates some of the most mundane situations. It’s hardly a difficult job for a skilled actor, yet he still manages to amaze you.

TECHNICAL ASPECTS

Jawan features stunning visuals and exceptional cinematography. The production values are excellent. Anirudh, a well-known name in Tamil cinema, makes his Bollywood debut and gives an outstanding soundtrack that is foot tapping, and refreshing, especially the title track accelerates the scenes.

Sumit Arora’s dialogues elicit applause in the theater. Aside from the performances, there are complex stunt sequences which are beautifully choreographed. Jawan talks about relevant societal concerns in a very commercial setting.