It is a fact that even as the word ‘Indian cinema’ exists, there exists a definite regionalism beyond linguistic differences among Indian Film Industry. Movies are released in many languages like Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada Marathi and so on but they are divided into North Indian aka Bollywood and South Indian Belts. Hindi films also get a big reach in the southern belts but the reception in return is rare. We have also seen Pan Indian films like KGF, Bahubali and RRR which have been huge hits and have been well received in the North Indian belt over and above that.
We can see this difference not only in the story and social situations but also in the making and production, Especially in mass masala entertainer movies. But unlike that, we see many filmmakers from the South Indian belt have made it to the forefront of Bollywood. Some Examples are Priyadarshan, Mani Rathnam, Shankar, Santhosh Sivan, KU Mohanan, Rajeev Ravi etc. Atlee, who was Shankar’s co-director, is now one of the most popular directors in South India. It is because of his collaborations with superstars like Ilayathalapathy Vijay.
Such is Atlee’s debut into Bollywood. And that too like every director’s dream by casting Shah Rukh Khan as the hero. I was curious to know that how Atlee is going to present Bollywood with the innovation through the North & South difference mentioned earlier. Along with Nayan Thara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone, Priyamani and big names from the technical side like Anirudh and Ruben, ‘Jawan’ hits the theaters today.
Mass Masala Entertainer movies have some templates as mentioned earlier. Only a few directors like Lokesh Kanakaraj have left such templates and come out and made such mass films, but Atlee has shown excellence by presenting the same template methods in an excellent way. There is no doubt that making is the backbone of every Atlee film with his signature style in some shots like Slow Motion.
Azad Rathore is a jailer of a women’s prison in Mumbai. Azad aims to clear the black name and accusations against his soldier-father, Vikram Rathore, and keep a promise made to his mother, Aishwarya, to become a vigilante and bring justice to the oppressed. Azad and his gang of women consisting of Lakshmi, Eeram, Ishkra, Kalki, Helena, and Janhvi continuously work towards justice for all the citizens. Meanwhile facing challenges from senior police officer and Azad’s love interest, Narmada Rai and Kaali Gaikwad. This is Jawan, in a Nutshell.
Coming to Jawan, the first mentioned Mass Templates are taken from many movies. Jawan is only average in terms of story, even if we approach it without any logic, which should not be looked for in such films. Although it is a Weak Script which only meets the same standard and includes too many predictable scenes, Atlee saves the film from a big fall with his making style and Signature Shots. The director tries to make strong statements against bureaucracy and the system.
Anirudh, who has been on the growth spurt in recent times, is making his Full Fledged Hindi Debut a celebration. Songs that have already entered the hit chart and well-placed background music give Jawan a good theater experience. Good frames and not bad VFX department all become saving factors of the movie.
Despite all this, this is an SRK movie, yes.. read it again. Jawan is an in and out SRK movie. Anything else comes into consideration when it comes to this movie. That much screen presence and swag is really what Shahrukh Khan delivered throughout this movie. As the trailer suggests, he is seen in two roles and becomes the soul of the film with his looks and work. The Character named Vikram Rathore’s Swag is Unmatchable.
Nayanthara and Deepika Padukone are the heroines of the movie. Both played their roles well. We have seen the effect of Vijay Sethupathi in villainous roles many times. His character of Kaali Gaikwad is the villain who competes with the hero, by all means. All those who handled the female characters who are the hero’s companions, played their roles magnificently.
Despite the plot full of extremely predictable scenes and an average story line, the big names SRK, Atlee and Anirudh hold the film together. An Above Average Cinematic Experience with the first half which starts off great and then hits the high graph towards the interval again after a Downfall and the second half which is not so satisfying.
But let’s come back to the regional difference we mentioned earlier. There is no doubt that it will be a new experience for the North Indian audience when South Indian mass templates are expertly introduced to Bollywood. Along with SRK swag, if a movie like Pathaan has become a blockbuster hit, nothing less than a big success above that can be expected from Jawan.
FF Ratings: ***
By Devdath
