Movie: Pathan
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham
Star Rating: 3.5/5
‘Party pathaan ke ghar pe rakhoge, toh mehman nawaji ke liye pathaan toh aayega, aur patake bhi laayega’. Fireworks from beginning to end – that’s what Yash Raj Raj bankroll actioner Pathan is all about. Shah Rukh Khan ends his 4-year silence in the cinema halls with this massive masala actioner, which stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead. Without any further ‘shame’, let’s get on with the review:
Meet Shah Rukh as Pathan
The screenplay begins with the country mentioning the abrogation of Article 370, and how it irks Pakistani General Qadir (played by actor Manish Wadhwa). Her revenge strategy involves Jim – our main antagonist and hottie (John Abraham). Veteran actress Dimple Kapadia, who plays a RAW officer, has a pivotal part till the climax. It is good to see actors like Ashutosh Rana (Col Sunil Luthra), Dimple Kapadia and Shah Rukh (Pathan, who is a RAW agent) in one frame.
John Abraham 2.0 is killer!
Jim, an ex-RAW agent turned rogue, is ruthless, loaded with deadly weapons and has an evil master plan. With all this, enter Deepika Padukone aka Rubina Mohsin, an ISI agent. She is glamorous, sexy and can kick some serious ass. Pathan follows him for vital information and from there the chase begins. As the script progresses, the layers of John’s character and his evilness are revealed and this time you get to see John Abraham 2.0 – after Dhoom, this is probably his best actioner. The story tightens up in the second part with the entry of a virus into the plot (no spoilers).
Pathan is high on action
There is never a dull moment in this YRF actor. The action sequences between SRK and John are over-the-top as well as mind-boggling. Don’t look for logic in masala entertainers, you will be disappointed. But what will keep you engrossed are the face-offs, heavy-handed dialogues and some of the lead actors performing bold action stunts never seen before.
Full marks for the background score which is edgy, fresh and has an adrenaline-pumping beat. Director Siddharth Anand is known for his stylish filmmaking. Be it Bang Bang, War or now Pathan – his signature style is impeccable and this time he has gone a notch higher.
See Pathan in theaters
Pathan has a visual flair which has many ‘wow’ moments for the fans. Be it spectacular globetrotting Spain, Russia to Afghanistan and Dubai – we traveled them all and that too in the most glamorous way. Music needs applause and yes here I mean ‘Besharam Rang’ and ‘Jhoome Jo Pathan’ which do not break the rhythm but add to it.
Pathan’s biggest blockbuster is ‘Karan Arjun’ moment which got the audience clapping and hooting like crazy. Yes, Bhaijaan Salman Khan and Shahrukh’s friendship is absolutely adorable and their action scenes together are also commendable. For those 5 minutes there were many wah-wahs, whistles and applause.
Deepika as Rubina is impressive in her performance. She can easily pull off some crazy stunts and has done. We need to see him in more action films after Pathan. The actress looks crisp and her stylist Shaleena Nathani does complete justice to her character’s brief. The cinematography by Satchith Paulose is superb and action stunts in Hollywood action director Casey O’Neill’s Pathan are worth watching.
Don’t miss the end credits, there are some fun elements for the fans.
Overall, our verdict: Fasten your seat belts this weekend, and watch Pathan in a theater near you!