‘Jawan’ review: An explosion

Shah Rukh Khan’s latest outing “Jawan” which is coming after the blockbuster “Pathaan”is having a huge craze among the audiences. The film is directed by Kollywood director Atlee. Nayanthara is making her Hindi debut while Anirudh Ravichander has composed the music. Gauri Khan has produced the film under SRK’s banner Redchillies Entertainments. The Film released in huge number of screens and let’s see how it fares at box-office.

Story

This is the story of a man (Shahrukh Khan) on a mission to make things right in society. He’s driven by a personal grudge from his past and a promise he made years ago. It’s an action packed thriller where he is facing a really bad guy who’s caused a lot of pain to many people and doesn’t seem to be scared of anything. Along the way, he meets Narmada Rai (Nayanthara), a tough lady cop. She is passionate about her work, and her feelings might get in the way as she joins Shahrukh Khan in this battle. As his past catches up with him, he’ll need all his skills and smarts to overcome the challenges and bring peace back to their world.

Can he defeat the bad guy and make things right? How does he do it? And how do Nayanthara and the other women help him? What’s the injustice he’s fighting against? The answers to these questions is the main plot of the story.

Analysis

Director Atlee has created a brand of sorts in the past few years with his grandly executed larger-than-life mass movies. “Jawan” is no different from them in any way. It is like his usual Southern stuff but made for a Pan-Indian audience. He shows his extraordinary execution skills with the opening block itself. The hero introduction is terrific, displaying his prowess over emotion and visuals. It is sure to meet with ecstatic responses from fans, especially the Hindi audience who are not used to his style.

The hero introduction is followed by another excellent block that ends with an unexpected twist. Until now, things are fresh and exciting, with the director getting it right. However, the place slackens when the personal thread and entertainment commences. It is okay variety and takes the narrative forward without harming much.

The good thing is the narrative stays strong. It is racy, which is both positive and negative. The pace doesn’t make one bored, but it also doesn’t allow one to connect emotionally to the proceedings.

The individual action blocks also give us a feeling of a movie within a movie. It is like a series of mini-movies packed together, with each tackling an issue from the system.The whole thing leads to a highly predictable and entertaining interval block due to the massy vibe and background score.

The second half, unfortunately, takes a predictable route or appears more that way as all the cards are put out in the open.What is left with during the second half are the vast cast and neatly planned action blocks. The presence of big names like Deepika Padukone, Priyamani, and others comes in handy here. Also, Vijay Sethupathi, who has been in the background in the first half, gets screentime.

The face-off of Vijay Sethupathi with Shah Rukh Khan and mass moments from time to time keep things ticking despite the utter predictability story-wise.

The climax featuring the payoff involving the protagonist and antagonist gets elevated due to Vijay Sethupathi’s timing. The whole thing ends on a satisfactory note despite the issues.

Overall, Jawaan is a typical Atlee-style larger-than-life action drama. An in-form star and villain and grandeur cover the routineness and make it a time pass watch.

Performances:

Shahrukh Khan mesmerises the audience, showcasing his versatility even at the age of 57. He embodies distinct looks in the film, flawlessly transitioning between them. His charismatic presence and emotive expressions add depth to his character, making the film a memorable cinematic experience.

Vijay Sethupathi shines as a villain, captivating viewers with his magnetic presence, leaving us eagerly anticipating every one of his appearances. His performance is truly outstanding. Nayanthara makes a strong Bollywood debut, delivering a commendable performance that adds depth to the film’s cast. Priyamani takes on the film’s most substantial female role and delivers a powerful performance.

Technicalities:

Director Atlee is known for packing his movies with good masala elements, and with Jawan, too, he does the same. He presented Shah Rukh in the way fans wish to see him. While the tempo goes down slightly in the second half, he makes it up with solid elevations and humor as the film nears the completion. All in all, he delivers what is expected of him.

Anirudh has become the man with Midas touch, and “Jawan” is another feather to his cap. His background score is pulsating, and he elevated the Bollywood Badhshah in an electrifying manner. GK Vishnu’s cinematography is top-class, and the action set pieces were captured in a superb manner. The movie is lengthy, and a few scenes could have been trimmed in the second half. The production values by Red Chillies are exquisite.

Advantages

Shahrukh Khan& Vijay Sethupathy performances

Introduction&interval blocks

Commercial Treatment

BGM

Drawbacks

Predictable at times

Portions in second half