Five reasons why Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan is bound to be a blockbuster

Shah Rukh Khan’s second film of 2023, Jawan, is one that aims for the heart, is single-minded in its pursuit to entertain the masses and deploys textbook tropes to do so. Here’s why it’s going to create fireworks at the box-office.

Shah Rukh Khan! Duh!

By now, Shah Rukh has established that he is a money-spinner—the advances of Jawan were second only to Baahubali 2: The Conclusion. In his home production, he ensures that audiences get their money’s worth by getting double dose of their King Khan. And what makes his heropanti worth rooting for is that he has a female force to back him on his very own Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. “Good to go Chief,” they say in unison. Yes, he’s doing most of the heavy-lifting but this is a one-man, six-woman mission. Trust Khan to make an all-out action film and one that appeals to his devoted female fan base as much as it caters to the men. Khan’s vigilante act is not entirely new—fans of Tamil action spectacle will identify inspirations for his swagger—but he brings his trademark charisma, occasional humour and the aerial kicks and powerful punches, which for most part all land.

Smart messaging

It’s one thing to make a film packed with one action set-piece after another. It’s another to make it one that cleverly weaves in your message without making it seem like a lecture. One of the many applause-worthy moments in the film comes when Khan delivers a speech encouraging citizens to hold the government accountable by asking questions and to exercise their democratic right to vote. With Lok Sabha elections less than a year away, expect this clip to go viral. In addition, Jawan will also remind audiences of a doctor who was accused of negligence, which led to deaths, only to have his name cleared by the courts and also highlights class disparity in how ill-treated farmers are vis- -vis the big corporates.

Memorable dialogues

“Bete ko haath lagane se pehle, baap se baat kar” (Before targeting my son, talk to his father) has already struck a chord with SRK fans, who have equated it to their hero’s uphill battle to save his eldest son, Aryan, from a life in prison. It’s a whistle-worthy line which had the audience go delirious in the cinema. But they are one of many that Khan and Khan alone belts out in the film.

Written by Sumit Arora (The Family Man, Guns & Gulaabs), they serve the purpose and only enhance Chief’s honest and do-good mission. “Gareebi se azaadi, annyaay se azaadi, corruption se azaadi (Freedom from poverty, injustice and corruption),” he declares with passion. No surprise then that the vigilante hero is also named Azad!

Atlee’s mass credentials

Jawan reminds you why Shah Rukh Khan was eager to collaborate with Atlee, one of the most successful filmmakers in Tamil Nadu, with many hits to his name. The flair seen in the editing, the effective use of slo-mos and background music and the well-crafted action set-pieces all enhance the experience. The filmmaker also dials up the melodrama every so often with scenes that end with each character wiping away a tear. For Atlee, there’s a beautiful rhythm in repetition. Just when you fear that Jawan is getting into a pattern and losing pace, it kicks back to life. That’s also because Atlee, who has co-written the film, very well understands the need to have a villain who matches the hero in theatrics. In Vijay Sethupathi’s weapons dealer, he has an actor who milks the occasion of being a menacing, even a tad campy, bad guy.

Unapologetically commercial

Jawan has all-too-familiar tropes—tearjerker-origin stories, a father-son relationship drama, vengeful women. The romance lacks logic and is hardly convincing, and its feminist manifesto isn’t rock solid. Despite its fallibilities, Jawan works because it never shies away from its idealism. The quick-fix solutions its hero comes up with to bring about a change are hardly possible in the real world, but it’s this very escapism and the ability to dream for and have a better outcome that makes you root even for its supporting characters even if most of them barely get a word to speak. Actions after all speak louder than words.

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