Spy thrillers have been a popular genre in world cinema, right from late 60s(Sean Connery in Hollywood, Dev Anand in India). YRF which previously proved successful in introducing a COP vs THIEF DHOOM franchise, also entered the spy genre with Ek Tha Tiger in 2013, followed by Tiger Zinda Hai in 2017 and War(2019).
Pathan(2023) YRF’s latest offering is an attempt to establish a full-fledged Spy Verse with references of characters from their earlier films too.
The film begins in the Joint Operation and Covert Research(JOCR) office in New Delhi, head by Col Sunil Luthra(Ashutosh Rana) and Nandini(Dimple Kapadia). The organization tracks an unusual movement happening in another part of the world, which they suspect is linked to an anti-Indian operation anchored by Jim(John Abraham) a popular terrorist and his gang .
To counter the same, JOCR engages Pathaan(Shah Rukh Khan), known to be one of their best undercover agents along with his team. No sooner does Pathan takes charge, than he finds himself having to deal with loads of surprises and that too within no time. Whether these unpredictable encounters prove to be a cake walk or get better of him is how the story unfolds.
Right from the word go, the narrative is pretty-fast paced as desired. Absolutely no time is wasted in establishing the premise and patching the back stories. The plot though with its interesting share of twists and turns, plays safe, avoids going too much out of the box and isn’t devoid of cliché as well. However, the soul of a spy thriller lies with the action sequences, which in Pathaan are indeed breath taking and death defying. Full marks to the entire action team for the same.
Cinematography(Satchith Paulose) is top notch and locales are a visual delight. VFX by Husseini Barodawalla and team are decent. Editing by Aarif Shiekh is razor sharp. Background score by Ankit-Sanchit very much in sync with the narrative. Music by Vishal Sheykhar is funky and is sure to set the tone for grooving in parties & get togethers throughout the year . Dialogues by Abbas Tyrewala are aptly impactful. The humor is subtle, pleasant and not at all cheesy.
While spy films in 70s were purely based on fictional yet believable plots and characters, the last few decades saw a trend in film makers aligning storylines with geo-political current affairs. Pathaan craftily throws light on couple of pertinent and sensitive issues among and within nations, but there are portions which do seem too convenient. This is where perhaps a thin line between cinematic liberty and real time incidents could be drawn meticulously. It becomes more relevant today with OTT effectively churning out content like Special OPS and Family Man which are both action-packed & well researched.
Having said that, the overall packaging, visual grandeur and sleek presentation of the film succeeds in engaging viewers throughout, with some full-on whistle/hoot inducing moments esp. in single screen cinema halls. Kudos to writer Sridhar Raghavan and director Siddharth Anand for their stupendous efforts in the process.
Coming to performances, Shah Rukh Khan does complete justice to the titular role with a perfect balance of energy, emotions and body language. The superstar returns to form, showing he is very much alive-n-kicking and is here to stay! Deepika Padukone brings in the much-needed depth, oomph and sensitivity to the table and puts up a fine act. John Abraham plays his part with ease and finesse, and even manages to overpower SRK in some of the scenes with his sheer intensity. His character is one of the best written ones in the film and deserves a spin off. Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana excel in their respective roles and get adequate screen space too. Prakash Belawadi does get much scope.
All in all, Pathan is a high octane, masala action entertainer with energetic performances from the actors, worth a one time watch in cinema halls.