Released Date : 25 Jan, 2023
Avg. User's Rating : 4.1/5
Pathan Saga: An expansion of Yrf's spy universe (previously led by Salman Khan's Tiger and Hrithik Roshan's Kabir), the film is an origin story of an ex-army undercover agent Pathan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his arch nemesis, Jim (John Abraham).
Pathan Review: An event film, as it marks Shah Rukh Khan's return to the big screen after four long years, Pathan is an ambitious action thriller that runs to the gallery and lives up to the hype. Far-fetched in terms of writing but high on star power and style, Pathan initially feels like a filmy Mountain Dew ad that slowly but surely finds its footing.
The plot follows India's abrogation of Article 370 (special status to Jammu and Kashmir) and its impact on a Pakistani officer, who wants India to pay for this 'mistake'. He reaches out to the dreaded Jim, an ex-RAW agent persecuted by his own men. He is joined by his shrewd partner Rubai, a former ISI agent (Deepika Padukone) with ambivalent intentions. Pathan, Jim and Rubai lock eyes and horns as they roam the continent and engage in a dangerous game of betrayal and revenge. They believe in three races to destroy and save the world.
Director Siddharth Anand gives over-the-top treatment to his spy thriller. He presents it more like a superhero movie that requires massive suspension of disbelief. His fascination and fanboy worship of mainstream Hollywood blockbusters like Marvel films or Tom Cruise's Mission Impossible series is evident here. Wingsuit-like falcons, exaggerated action and chase sequences, death and gravity-defying stunts in cars, bikes, ice and helicopters, mouth-popping dialogues from immortal heroes and villains, a femme fatale, and all this infused with patriotism.
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Action overrides emotion for the bulk of the film and is new territory for SRK, who prefers romantic or dialogue roles. It's interesting how he lets his body do the talking at 57 with those powerfully evocative eyes, as a full-fledged action hero. It's his presence that saves an average script and subpar VFX. Although the background score doesn't seem to match the scenes, Vishal and Shekhar's music in the film manages to reflect the heroism and bravery on display.
Pathan's highlight is John Abraham's tough portrayal of Jim. Be it his Ben like masked entry or stunt sequences, John is intimidating and makes a classic case of the villain overshadowing the hero in the part.
Deepika Padukone can kick ass and is perfectly cast as the dutiful, double-crossing, morally ambiguous leggy agent but her chemistry with SRK feels underdeveloped. John-SRK's characters lack the spark they share Dimple Kapadia does a tenet once again and lends that much needed gravitas and sensitivity to the proceedings. You wish other characters exuded sincerity on his part.
YRF Spy Universe reunites Karan and Arjun (week week) to give you an iconic whistle blowing moment when Bhai meets Badsha. If you're willing to overlook the insipidness of dialogues like 'you're pretty bad', Pathan has all the ingredients of a masala potboiler — slowmo entries, the iconic battle of good vs. evil and, most importantly, a sexy-smoldering Shah Rukh Khan, who can put up a good fight on and off screen. He is still the undisputed king.
