PATHAAN : is a classic Hindi mass pot boiler entertainment
At last saw the much awaited and hugely anticipated movie of the year Pathaan, claiming to be Shahrukh Khan’s comeback after 4 years post the disaster called Zero.
Let me be very honest right from the beginning that PATHAAN is NOT just a movie it is an EVENT movie which is very popular down south wherein the movie is more to showcase the Star than the content, which is normally the case with all Salman Khan movies. PATHAAN falls under this genre.
So in PATHAAN it is not the plot that is emphasized but more prominence is given to overall style and glamour showcasing the #SRK Star power mainly catering to his fans.
Writers Shridhar Raghavan and Abbas Tyrewala do exactly that, created a plot encircling the star persona of SRK and writing the screenplay accordingly adding another spy to the spy universe of YRF. To be very honest the plot has nothing new to offer and it is pretty predictable, though there are twists and turns that has been incorporated, but you can make out from a distance. Where the screenplay gets interesting are the action set pieces which has been incorporated one after the another not giving us audience time to breathe. Both Abbas and Shridhar have kept the humour intact throughout the screenplay, even in hardcore action sequences. More than the screenplay I have to give credit to the writers for creating characters whether it is of Pathaan or of the antagonist Jim or even the accomplice Rubai, all the characters create an impact and how, especially the antagonist Jim which is a scene stealer character.
Coming to the performances, I have to admit that BADSHAH of Bollywood is back with a bang. SRK portrays the titular role of Pathaan like a super hero with his towering screen presence and his emoting with his eyes. He has really worked very hard for his role and it shows, he worked on his physique and looked absolutely convincing in his first out and out action role (if I am not mistaken). There is a certain ठहराव in his performance which was good. Deepika Padukone as ISIS agent Dr. Rubina Mohsin a.k.a Rubai, looked glamorous and acted well, especially she looked convincing in the action set pieces. She was able to keep the mystery of her character intact till the end. But I must say the show stealer was John Abraham as Jim a rogue RAW agent, John has always been good with menacing acts, remember Zinda and Dhoom which are some of his finest performance, similarly in PATHAAN John creates another memorable antagonist and impresses us. Rest of the cast including Dimple Kapadia, Ashutosh Rana do a good job. Cameo of Salman Khan as Tiger post interval was a fun to watch. Don’t miss the mid credit scene at the end.
Siddharth Anand has really done a successful transition from being a rom com director ( Remember his Salaam Namaste and Bachna Ae Haseeno) to an all out action movie director (Bang Bang and War). In PATHAAN, Siddharth is very clear that he is showcasing SRK throughout the movie and the entire plot revolves around him, so he makes use of the star charisma of SRK to the fullest and how. As a director he is very clear about his vision of an out and out masala entertainer and that is what he serves and very convincingly. To be very honest he was successful in doing so because there is not a single point in the movie that bores, though there are some cringe worthy moments and cinematic liberties have been taken in tons in this movie, but who really cares if you are entertained and Siddharth does it brilliantly.
I have to mention the action directors Craig Macrae, Casey ONeill, Domonkos Pardanyi and Sunil Rodrigues who created some brilliant action pieces taking the movie to another level. Cinematography by Satchith Paulose is gritty and colorful at the same time. Though I have my reservations with the VFX, I thought it was a bit underwhelming, looking at the scale of the movie VFX falls short.
There are two songs, the controversial Besharam Rang and Jhoome Jo Pathaan, both are foot tapping dance numbers to please the masses. The choreography is another department which was underwhelming, Besharam Rang by Vaibhavi Merchant was like a Déjà vu of Goonghroo toot Gaye and Jhoome Jo Pathaan is no comparison to Swag from Tiger Zinda Hai and comes out as caricature of sorts.
Overall PATHAAN is like that joy ride in an amusement park which gives an adrenaline rush while it lasts. If you are a fan of movies like Fast And Furious or Expendibles then this movie is your cup of tea.
In short PATHAAN is a classic Hindi mass pot boiler entertainment which is low in content and high in glamour, glitz and action.