Pathaan review: ‘Rotten’ Bollywood is blooming again, with plans to create its own ‘Avengers’

With amazing twists, tight screenplay, and never-seen-before visuals Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, and John Abraham is a part of Yash Raj Films' spy universe previously led by Salman Khan’s Tiger and Hrithik Roshan’s War.

As the spectre of boycott is haunting Indian cinema in a very different way, turning it from a tool of protest to a toxic weapon of bullying and intolerance, Siddharth Anand intends to skip the boycott trend and make Pathaan the biggest event film of the country.

The film is an original narrative of an ex-army man turned covert agent Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his arch-enemy, Jim, in Yrf's espionage world.

Pathaan is the latest chapter in the YRF Spy Universe where Pathaan is King Khan, a James Bond-style agent recruited out of retirement to take down Outfit X, a worldwide terror organization. Its commander is Jim (John Abraham), a former Indian agent who has gone rogue, perpetrating atrocities for groups like Boko Haram and the Islamic State in exchange for money. Jim now possesses a biological weapon of mass destruction.

The narrative covers India's withdrawal of article 370 (special status of Jammu and Kashmir) and its repercussions on a Pakistani officer, who wants India to pay for this 'error'. He approaches Jim, an ex-RAW agent who has been wronged by his own people. He is accompanied by his ravishing accomplice Rubai, an ex-ISI agent with unclear objectives (Deepika Padukone). Pathaan, Jim, and Rubai lock horns as they cross continents in a lethal game of treachery and vengeance. The three compete to destroy and defend the worlds in which they believe.

Also read: How Pathaan's arrival has spoiled the box office collection of Avatar 2

For the most part, the film prioritizes action over emotion, which is kind of new for SRK, who is best known for romantic or intellectual parts. At 57, as a full-fledged action hero, he lets his physique do the talking with those immensely compelling eyes. While the background score isn't completely in tune with the scenes, Vishal & Shekhar's music manages to portray the heroism and confidence on display.

Threats to halt screenings and boycotts followed, but Deepika Padukone's saffron bikini look makes it to the final cut. Dimple Kapadia pulls a Tenet and adds much-needed weight and emotional depth to the proceedings. You wish other characters radiated the genuineness she does.

The best part is when the YRF spy universe reunites Karan and Arjun for an epic whistle moment when Bhai meets the Badshah. Pathaan has all the makings of a masala potboiler: slow-motion entry, an iconic struggle of good vs evil, and, most crucially, an attractive Shah Rukh Khan who can fight the good fight both on and off the screen. He remains the unquestioned King.