Shahrukh Khan’s many stunning looks, raw action, solid starcast and splash of swag… the trailer of ‘Jawaan’ had everything that fills a staunch Indian cinema fan with excitement to go to the theatre. And after finally going to the theater after a long wait, one feels that the duo of Shahrukh and director Atlee has delivered even more than what they had shown.
Shahrukh has killer looks, action scenes and emotions that set the screen on fire in ‘Jawaan’. But there are many things in the story of the film which will appeal to you not only as a viewer but as a citizen of this country. There is so much story in the script of ‘Jawaan’ in the first 45 minutes, which is often not found even after spending three hours in masala films.
Story of ‘Jawan’
The story of the film starts with a train hijack. The hijacker (bald looking Shahrukh) has demanded to talk to the Agriculture Minister in exchange for the 376 passengers of the train. He demands an amount from the Agriculture Minister, which is not possible even for the government to arrange within 5 minutes! But in the hijacked metro train is also the daughter of a big “business man” Kali (Vijay Sethupathi). The train hijacker’s advice is that when the government can waive off the loans of businessmen, it can also take help from them to save the lives of the people trapped in the train. By the time this entire episode ends, the loans of 7 lakh farmers will have been waived off with the ransom money. A girl gang is also with that man in hijacking the train. They all have their own stories.
This person, who has become a criminal in the eyes of the law, becomes a hero in the eyes of the public. A modern Robinhood, who is helping the public by looting money from businessmen. But is this man’s act as true as it seems? Is there any other real motive behind this?
The responsibility of stopping train hijacking has been given to a special force, which is being led by Officer Narmada Rai (Nayanthara). Narmada is a single mother, but she wants to get married for her daughter. Azad (Shahrukh), the warden of a women’s jail, enters his life. But there are some secrets in Azad’s story. Does Azad have any connection with the train hijacker?
The train hijacker had whispered his name into the ears of the businessman’s daughter. After all, what is the story of this name? And why was Kali shaken after hearing this name? Deepika Padukone also had a special appearance in the trailer. What is their story? The film answers all these questions on screen.
Message from ‘Jawan’
There are many sub-plots in the film which together make up the complete story. There are many such things in these small parts which you find in newspapers. Suicides of debt-ridden farmers, playing with people’s health, allowing industries to operate without fear, poisoning lives and the environment. The story of the film also shows the level of corruption where army soldiers with poor weapons lose their lives innocently in front of the enemies. The stories of Narmada as well as other female characters, instead of showing them as helpless, make them very strong.
Action and elevation
Atlee has given a grand presence on screen to Shahrukh’s characters in his trademark style. With the powerful music of Anirudh Ravichander, these characters get that elevation which makes the hero bigger not only from reality but also from the cinema screen.
You get to see Shahrukh’s action scenes every now and then throughout the film, from beginning to end. There is a 10-minute sequence in the beginning of the film, in which the hero of the story is treated as if he is a superhero. While doing action, the way he displays his fighter skills makes him superhuman. Every fight scene, every action block is a treat for a die-hard action lover viewer.
Story treatment and minor problems
‘Jawaan’ is a 2 hours 45 minutes long film. But despite this long run time, nowhere does it feel as if anything is meaningless. But in fitting a lot of interesting elements into the story, it seems that the film is running back and forth very fast. That’s why when the film stops at a scene in Azad’s childhood story, you can feel the emotions. At the end of this sequence, the audience themselves may become emotional.
But this pause comes out better only in this one sequence. There was a need for some pause in the sequence of farmer’s suicide or the sequence of children struggling with lack of oxygen in the hospital and doctors fighting for them. But perhaps the long runtime of the film was also ticking on the editor’s mind. The climax of ‘Jawaan’ could have been a little better. Right now there is action and swag in it. But based on the background of the characters, ‘Jawaan’ falls a little short of the emotional finale that should have been given.
Actors’ performance
The swag that Atlee would have imagined for the hero of ‘Jawaan’, Shahrukh has brought it on screen with full weight. Be it action or just talking, Shahrukh’s work maintains a full score on the swag meter. The most interesting thing is that the highlight here is not just ‘superstar’ Shahrukh, but ‘actor’ Shahrukh also gets full opportunity to show his shine.
Perhaps no one could have looked more perfect than Nayanthara in the role of a special officer. As strong as she is in this character, she also becomes equally vulnerable for a moment on the demand of the story. Vijay Sethupathi once again shows why his name immediately comes to mind whenever we make a list of the best actors of the country.
The work of the supporting cast is also very solid in ‘Jawaan’. Lahar Khan, who has done excellent films like ‘Parched’, is seen in a very emotional sub-plot here. He has done a solid job in his small part. Sanya Malhotra, Priyamani and Riddhi Dogra are also powerful in their roles. Sunil Grover keeps getting a separate attention, although it would have been more fun to see his character a little more in the story.
‘Jawaan’ is a completely packed script. Whatever it was trying to say, the film succeeds in saying it effectively to a great extent. But in packing so many elements, the film also seems a little overloaded. However, there is no doubt that it has brought Shahrukh’s best cinematic moments.
As big a hero as ‘Jawaan’ shows its hero, Shahrukh’s exposed swag takes him to the pinnacle. This is such a film which will generate applause and whistles every 10-15 minutes in packed theatres.