By Abha Anindita and Adity Choudhury
Whistles, hoots, and people dancing to the title song, Jhoome Jo Pathaan, is the mood of a nation, defined no less by its culture of trolling. Apart from this, Bollywood continues to dominate headlines because of the nepotism debate, bad content or the continued reign of cinema from the southern states.
The Republic Day release of Pathaan, in this context, is key to understanding the overt political control over Bollywood and how the industry should behave.
Be it death threats to Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Deepika Padukone over Padmaavat or SRK’s son, Aryan Khan, being arrested over allegations of drug use/possession, the nation’s trolls want to dictate only ‘one way’ of being Indian.
The slew of Hindi releases since Covid-19 have failed to generate mass hysteria, made all the more glaring with the rise of Over the Top (OTT) platforms. More importantly, the audience has made it clear that content is king!
No longer can we blame the lack of fresh, experimental ideas on the global pandemic.
In this light, what does this film mean for our Pathaan, and by extension, our country?
Cinema halls have, all of a sudden, come to life. And only one man could do it, the phenomenon that is Shah Rukh Khan (SRK)… perhaps the last of the superstars.
The plot is not new, yet remains unconventional, seen through the first few scenes where the hero tumbles, fumbles and fights back too… looking effortlessly charming through it all.
The anti-hero, portrayed by John Abraham, is bigger (not just in height) but one which leaves audiences questioning if he is a villain and not just an anti-hero, or both. He enters in style (along with his dimples); the movie makes its mark as an action thriller.
It’s the usual villain-beats-hero and the (eventual) hero-successfully-defeats-villain-in-the-end trope, yet audience reactions have cemented the throne for SRK. He is called Badshah for a reason.
However, the movie has ended up defeating the superficial boycott brigade.
The spy thriller with its first song release, Besharam Rang, called for several unwarranted comments whilst a certain section was hell bent on Bollywood doom, however, Hindi cinema aficionados and SRK super fans had their hopes high on King Khan to save the sinking ship. After all, he was on a four-year hiatus.
Twitter trends calling out to boycott the movie and the burning of posters around several cities by right-wing groups to derogatory comments on clothes and their colours… one would presume that this movie would meet with the similar fate, a worrisome trend that has the pundits scratching their heads.
Pathaan brings back the classic action hero back! Gone are the days when heroes could do no wrong or villains had no redeeming quality.
Maverick filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Vasan Bala, Dibakar Banerjee and Sriram Raghavan, to name a few, are known for antiheroes-with-a-purpose and heroes-with-questionable-motives, with a cheeky humour. Where Hindi content is concerned, dark comedies have left an impression.
Khan wears his identity of a ‘Pathaan’ on his sleeve right from the title of the movie to the backstory of how he, as a character in the Sidharth Anand directorial, got that name. He asserts and fights back to the endless trolling, including everyone who questioned his patriotism. At the same time he has managed to pull an ocean of audience to the theaters through his art.
In the times we are living in, Pathaan sure is an entertaining bollywood flick. Beyond the narrative trope, it’s a war cry… a clear response that bigotry is temporary. The magic of SRK and the nation’s love for cinema remains.
Though it is too early to call it a victory as the film has only just released, it is safe to assume it is far from being a flop. And the win is personal to every Indian who loves Bollywood, and for many, Bollywood is almost synonymous with Shah Rukh Khan.
That said, the film does not tap into new genres, but what is extraordinary is that it is made to celebrate SRK… not to give you butterflies as a romantic lead, but to keep you on the edge of your seats and offer the adrenaline rush.
A flashback explains why his character, Pathaan, is named.It goes back to how his parents left him back in a cinema theater; thereafter, he moved from an orphanage to a redemption center until the country adopts him, in the form of a mission in Afghanistan.
Khan attempts to break all the stereotypes in a subtle manner. He has been limited to because of his religion… possibly a reason behind his silence.He does not spread his arms here, instead fights for the country and makes us smile, along the way.
The film ends with a dialogue, as Pathaan says, Ek soldier ye nahi puchta ki desh uske ke liye kya kar sakta hai, woh ye puchta hai ki woh desh ke liye kya kar sakta hai? Translated, this means, “A soldier does not ask what his country has done for him, instead he asks what he can do for his country?”
Apart from being an unabashed celebration of SRK, it is collective anger erupting at the right wing propaganda. And, how does it achieve this?
Take Abraham’s character, Jim, for instance. In one scene, he smirks at Pathaan and says, Fark sirf itna hain, main usko apna aashiq samajhta tha, aur tum bete… Bharat Maa! (“The difference is I considered her my lover, and you, consider yourself, her son… India!”).
The movie is clearly aimed at being patriotic, however, it does not serve jingoism straight on the plate. The bigger point here is…. Khan saves the nation, while wearing his questionable identity of being a Pathaan (Muslim) as the quintessential action hero. This makes the film a tried-and-tested formula, which guarantees success.
Who can forget Sunny Deol’s loud, Tarikh pe taarikh, (“date after date”), questioning the legal system of the country from the film, Damini? The irony remains long after this one released in 1993… in the systematic manner in which countries break democracies, over imagined villains.
India is not new in this regard. In the early days of the Cold War, the “Hollywood Blacklist” denied employment to filmmakers, actors, screenwriters and musicians, on the suspicion of either being Communists (Commies) or Commie sympathisers.
Coming back to Pathaan, it impresses the audience with its nuances – Rubina Mohsin, played by Deepika Padukone, is not just another stunning heroine – she doesn’t need saving, instead she has a few secrets up her sleeve, making her a pivotal character. For the new-age Indian woman, she is a much-needed change.
This is a typical Bollywood action flick that makes it clear that a spy universe is under way. And, a surprise cameo, once again led to enthusiastic cheers. The end credits are a further nod to this.
It would not be wrong to say that Khan breathes life into Bollywood as he makes an appearance on the silver screen.
Pathaan is not really a comeback for him, as he did not go anywhere… he was here all the while, observing everything, and only chose to hit back in a manner, befitting to him.
It would be “just another Hindi movie”, if the bigotry would have not put itself out on every platform possible, but now it is a battle for the soul of a nation, constantly crushed.
The plot is dispensable at times, but this movie was made solely to show SRK’s larger-than-life persona, both as the king of romance or as an antihero.Be it boycott brigades, or hashtag trends, Bollywood is here to stay, and he will continue to rule.
So, what does the dancing across theatres mean for the country?
It is a rebellion of sorts, joyful anger pushing back the endless propaganda, as the nation is fighting itself to preserve the secular ethos, it is built on.
Should we stop this dancing and the collective cheery mood? For a change, why not ask the trolls?