Last year belonged to RRR, 2023 is all about SRK, at least as far as Indian blockbusters are concerned that are making waves in Europe. 4 years after his last leading role Shah Rukh Khan returned with a comeback campaign. First he entered a successful action universe with Pathaan, then he even surpassed its success with Jawan. In Germany, the blockbuster was released directly on Netflix after a short cinema release.
Jawan is a wild ride about the civil struggle for justice
The Indian superstar plays dual roles in Jawan. One of them is that of a prison guard who, with the help of a group of female inmates, takes control of a train in Mumbai. The other one will not be revealed.
Azad (Shah Rukh Khan) is a quick-change artist who fools the security authorities with his prison crew. By taking hostages, the underdogs gain a voice in the media and politics to force action against corruption and injustice. He crosses the path of the brutal arms dealer Kalee (a devilish Vijay Sethupathi), who doesn’t take it lying down. Anti-terror officer Narmada (Nayanthara) is also on his trail.
Red Chillies Entertainment
Jawan
From now on, our expectations will be played with pleasure, as perhaps only a superstar who knows that he has been missed for years can do. Shah Rukh Khan is “unveiled” several times under different disguises – you have to imagine the cheers in the packed cinema at home. Jawan is also a film about the comeback of a star who stumbled after failures. But you don’t need this prior knowledge to enjoy the wild blockbuster ride with a semi-feminist twist.
There is a surprising amount of reality in the action film on Netflix
Slow-motion shootouts alternate with massive fights. Atlee Kumar’s film dances back and forth between exaggeration and realism, mythical drama and social criticism. Here the steeled Shah Rukh Khan hits his opponent through the wallyou see poor farmers collapsing under mountains of debt.
Red Chillies Entertainment
Jawan
Real cases found their way into the script, for example a series of deaths in a hospital where oxygen supplies were running low. The uproar over these events is processed in the guise of an (extremely) popular narrative. Now a fictional hero on screen stands up for the little people. Blockbuster entertainment can also provide something like this.
This is where Jawan differs from Pathaan or the other hits from the aforementioned YRF Spy Universe. They all feature ultra-cool, muscular guys who were born to casually turn their backs on a massive explosion. The makers of the Shah Rukh Khan blockbuster Jawan want more. But they don’t give up a second of their desire to entertain. As soon as in the final one Truck chase with some brilliantly crazy action ideas rolls in, one can only applaud the return of the king.