32. JAWAN (2023)

 

Language: Hindi

Genre: Mass/ Action

The filmmaker Atlee has a history of repackaging  older films, and "Jawan," his latest collaboration with SRK, is no exception. This time, Atlee adheres to the standard Shankar film formula: a masked vigilante battles the corrupt political system while using elements from his own prior films, Theri, Mersal, and Bigil, as well as themes from other films like Arrambham and Mankatha and even the Money Heist series. It's almost as if the director threw all the ingredients for a masala film into a blender, and the result was "Jawan," which somehow lacked the intended punch.

It is clear that the director intended for this film to address a number of social issues, but the messaging is disjointed and lacks any sort of focus. In typical Shankar fashion, Atlee gives flashbacks that inspire the main character and his sidekicks' current rebellion, but he is unable to forge any sort of emotional connection between the characters and the audience. Furthermore, even within the confines of the movie's fictional universe, the solutions he offers to the social issues presented in the film seem overly simple. And even though I am well aware that there is no need to search for logic in this genre of film, I can't help it; some of the scenes were downright funny and lacked any sense of gravity in light of the variety of issues at hand.

Amidst all the chaos, there are some positive aspects. First and foremost, it's "Shah Rukh Khan," the star of the show.He plays the father and son simultaneously in Jawan in a never-before-seen massy avatar, and he does an excellent job of it. It is a true joy to watch SRK kick ass like never before. The intro, interval punch, and some fight sequences are all well packed. As the frames actually depict the grand scale in which the movie is produced, the production design and VFX work are quite commendable. Sadly, aside from the SRK , none of the character arcs in the film are compelling and fail to make an impact; though the movie boasts a huge star cast including Deepika, Nayantara and Vijay Sethupathi. Once more, Atlee cleverly conceals the frailties by elevating the main character to a paramount status and providing whistle-worthy mass scenes. Additionally, Anirudh's music in this film is hit-or-miss, which is very unusual considering the back to back bangers he delivered recently.

As a whole, With Jawan, Atlee gives us a fresh take on SRK who can be compared to the pinnacle of mass and swag; however, the film lacks any impact, and the scene would be different if this SRK incarnation were to be shown in a film with an extensive and intelligent screenplay.  To celebrate the SRK 3.0, watch it in a crowded theatre; aside from that, I was unable to identify any redeeming factors that makes me recommend the film.

My opinion: Mediocre