We haven’t seen Shah Rukh Khan on the big screen in about 4 years. Shah Rukh Khan’s most recent lead role was in the 2018 romantic comedy film, Zero, thus there are high hopes for him to make a strong comeback. Fortunately, he was successful with the action thriller, Pathaan, which lives up to the expectations.
WHAT I LIKE
Pathaan has several parts that I found more amusing compared to the previous instalment of the YRF Spy Universe, War. The villain is superior in terms of performance and depth, the female protagonist contributes far more and is vital to the plot, and the action sequences are considerably more memorable.
The film’s stars are Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham. This film would not function without them since the supporting characters, as well as everyone who is not one of these three individuals, are essentially marginalised. They’re in the background, and the entire movie revolves around Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Dimple Kapadia, who offers the proceedings much-needed gravitas and emotional depth, is the only member of the supporting cast who makes a major contribution to the narrative.
As a single, the tracks are enjoyable to listen to. I also like the BGM, particularly “Jim’s Theme,” which I prefer over “Pathaan’s Theme,” but that’s a personal preference.
When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, the action scenes are very impressive. The hand-to-hand battle sequences are incredible, especially when you see Shah Rukh Khan, who is in his late 50s to early 60s (at the time of this article) and performing martial arts. It’s incredibly amazing to see, and anytime that happens, whenever there’s hand-to-hand fighting, those are some of the film’s most memorable moments.
Salman Khan makes a cameo appearance, which I greatly loved. I enjoyed how they interacted with one another. It’s one of the film’s most engaging sequences. It’s a lot of fun, and I liked seeing Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan work together as allies in an action scene.
The backstory of John Abraham’s character was interesting to me. I didn’t expect them to give the villain this much depth. But how much complexity they give John Abraham in just one flashback, which lasts around five minutes, is surprising. I can see why he’s doing what he’s doing in the film. Although I disagree with the path he chose, I can see why he made that decision. When you consider things from his perspective, it’s quite understandable. That was a very nice touch to the movie that I didn’t expect to see.
I liked Deepika Padukone’s action scenes. I enjoy that she has a prominent role in this movie. She is more important in this film than Vaani Kapoor’s role in War. She does have a role in this film, and it is a very crucial role. All of that was enjoyable for me.
WHAT I DISLIKE
Although I like John Abraham’s portrayal of Jim and Deepika Padukone’s portrayal of Rubina, I didn’t connect with Rubina’s past or her romance with Pathaan.
The film contains some VFX flaws. While I enjoyed the action scenes, several of them reminded me of moments from James Bond and Mission Impossible flicks. That didn’t bother me because I was enjoying the action nonetheless.
While I appreciated Salman Khan’s appearance, the film made a significant error by not allowing Hrithik Roshan (his character Kabir from War) a cameo, despite the fact that there is a great moment for a Hrithik Roshan cameo during a plane sequence towards the climax, which they did not use. That was a golden opportunity squandered.
CONCLUSION
Pathaan is an excellent return for Shah Rukh Khan since there’s a lot to appreciate in this film (as you’ve probably guessed if you’ve read this far) and it’s the strongest instalment of the YRF Spy Universe right now. It’s incredibly enjoyable and ideal for fans of Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and/or John Abraham, as well as those seeking a fun, one-time-watch over-the-top action thriller.
