The Return of King Khan: Review- Pathaan (2023)
The King is back and how!
Pathaan is a festival that is meant to be celebrated. The return of King Khan to mainstream Bollywood after a hiatus of four years got me squealing!
With an opening two days of over 55 crore rupees in India alone, Shah Rukh Khan's return to mainstream cinema in the spy thriller Pathaan has turned out to be nothing less than a festival. With people hooting, cheering, and dancing, this Siddharth Anand directorial is one of the best spy thrillers in the Yash Raj Spy Universe.
Packed with action and adrenaline, the film sees a re-invention of SRK from his previous works. His last films Jab Harry Met Sejal and Zero showed him as a romantic conversational hero, but Pathaan re-invents him as an action hero. Action overrides emotions for major part of the film. The screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan and dialogues by Abbas Tyrewala lace the film with witty and seeti-maar dialogues which add to Khan's appeal.
A still from the song Besharam Rang.
Despite getting into a controversy for the song Besharam Rang, portrayed by Deepika Padukone clad in an orange bikini, the film does not steer towards pariotism and jingoism. It offers a counter-narrative to the Islamophobic thrillers and historical epics that are getting churned out in recent times. Shah Rukh Khan's character too, stays away from the religious angle, portraying him as a soldier who only worships and respects his country.
Mission Impossible, James Bond, Welcome, Taken – these spy thrillers keep you on the edge of your seat as you root for the hero, and Pathaan takes frames and instances from each of them. Anand’s love for these films is clearly shown in Pathaan. Dimple Kapadia beautifully portrays the Indian version of the role of M from the Bond series. She, along with Ashutosh Rana build the narrative in terms of their characterisations.
Deepika Padukone is more than just a romantic lead or damsel in distress in this action-packed spy thriller.
Jim, played by John Abraham, with his stature and positioning is convincing as the enemy. Deepika Padukone, who portrays her hot sultry side, is more than just a romantic lead or damsel in distress. Playing Dr. Rubina Mohsin, an ex- ISI agent, with guns and glamour, in one sequence, she operates a gatling gun in full form. This is where the film scores brownie points – each of their characters have convincingly good back stories.
To be honest, I would love to see a spin-off movie of only Deepika’s character.
However, the film slightly falters with its timelines. By often jumping between the past and present and to various cities and countries – Dubai, Mumbai, Afghanistan, Spain, Mexico – it sometimes gets hard to keep up as to what is happening where. In sequences, the VFX often seemed fake, making it very evident of there being a green screen.
The film overall, was crackling with energy. Witnessing the return of King Khan amidst whistles, cheers, and hoots, with audience members dancing in their seats, the film was nothing short of celebrating true stardom. With instances to SRK’s first film Darr, and Karan Arjun (wink wink), the film is an all-out entertainer and a befitting return to the throne by King Khan.
PS: Wait for the post-credit scene.
