1,496 ... it has been that many days since Shahrukh Khan was seen as the leading man on the big screen. While his appearance as himself in R Madhavan's Rocketry: The Nambi Effect and Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha and the extended cameo in the Ranbir-Kapoor-Alia Bhatt starrer Brahmastra gave us a glimpse of what we had missed, SRK in Pathaan is an absolute juggernaut.
Before I talk about what works and doesn't work in the movie, here is the one-liner of the story; an Indian spy Pathaan joins hands with ex-ISI Rubai to fight a terrorist-for-hire Jim who is determined to destroy India using biowarfare.
Now, let me get into the review. A few disclaimers at the outset, if you are looking for a logical, action caper, then Pathaan is not for you. It is an absolute adrenalin rush of high-octane action, beautiful locations, and some amazing fight sequences.
Director Siddharth Anand stays true to what he gave us in the Hrithik Roshan - Tiger Shroff starrer War in terms of the action and the plot twists. He also has a couple of emotional moments that manage to bring a tear. Satchith Paulose's camera work and Sanchit Balhara
and Ankit Balhara's background score hit the mark. But what sticks out like a sore thumb is some of the action pieces that seem forced; for example the whole sequence on ice. The confrontation between Pathaan and Jim happens so often that the impact of the final battle is diluted. Another aspect that did not hold up is the VFX. YRF definitely needs to up its game in this area. Thankfully the presence of SRK makes you forget all these flaws.
(There is nothing much to write home about the two songs composed by Vishal-Sheykhar. The title track is catchy, but it plays during the end credits and the controversial Besharam Rang was not even needed.)
Now it is time to talk about Shahrukh Khan. He has never looked better and every moment on screen he makes it worthwhile. He is sincere as Pathaan and brings passion to everything he does. Thanks to the writers for keeping the humourous streak of SRK intact. And he nails it every time. Deepika Padukone as the femme fatale does her job well. She also gets a good piece of the action and impresses with her antics. Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana to justice to their parts.
But a major part of the movie belongs to John Abraham. And boy can he play evil well! He has some of the best lines in the movie and he delivers them in style. He is indeed a formidable opponent to SRK. He brings back memories of Dhoom and I wish cinema audiences get to see more of this John Abraham on screen.
And finally what makes Pathaan an exhilarating big-screen experience is one of the best cameos in Hindi cinema in a long time. It gives Bollywood its own mini RRR fight sequence. Whistles galore for the Khan camaraderie on screen.
So go on, watch Pathaan on the big screen, and celebrate the return of King Khan! And do not miss the post-credit scene. It is totally worth the wait!