PATHAAN MOVIE REVIEW CLICK TO RATE THE MOVIE

Pathaan is an action spy thriller film written and directed by Siddharth Anand, and produced by Aditya Chopra under the banner Yash Raj Films. It is the 4th film in the YRF spy universe and stars Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. John Abraham, Asutosh Rana, Dimple Kapadia and others play crucial supporting roles.

Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) is an Indian Army officer who gets badly injured during a mission. Upon his return, he puts together a team of similar officers who are off duty because of physical injuries but are mentally strong. On the other hand, Jim (John Abraham) is hired by the Pakistan Army General to "bring India to its knees" because the Indian government had repealed Article 370 of its constitution. How Pathaan thwarts Jim's plans and saves the nation forms the plot of the film.

Before Pathaan, there have been films like Tiger Zinda Hai, Ek Tha Tiger, and War, which are a part of the YRF Spy Universe. All these films are spy action films with a waferthin plot and plenty of action. Pathaan is no different as you have an action block every 15 minutes. The film sticks to this genre and doesn't hold back the punches.

There are backstories for Deepika, Shah Rukh, and John Abraham's characters but the film consciously avoids delving deep into it. They only come across as dialogues mouthed by the characters and not separate scenes. And all these backstories are revealed in the first half itself, setting up a second half that had the perfect environment to proceed at jet speed.

However, it turns out to be the opposite as the first half moves at perfect pace, without many boring moments. You don't realise the passage of time, despite the flashback stories. Even the action sequences in the first half are highly innovative on a conceptual level. The placement of the twists are timed well and they work so well.

The second half becomes highly predictable, and the action sequences stop exciting you slowly. As these action set pieces fail, the issues in the writing become visible. There's a cameo by Salman Khan that is sure to send fans of both superstars into a frenzy. That is the sole standout moment in the second half.

Shah Rukh Khan excels as Pathaan and shoulders the entire film, mainly because he is the only one whose performance is memorable. John Abraham is characterized well, but his limited range of expressions don't help the film's cause. Deepika Padukone 's role in the film keeps diminishing as time passes by. In the first half she steals the thunder so many times but in the second half there's nothing she does.

The music, edit and the stunt choreography together offer us a fantastic cinematic experience. The makers have opted to present the film in a stylish way and it shows in the cinematography. Technically, the film has set a high standard for itself and does reach it. It plays a vital role in engaging the audience. The train fight sequence in particular serves as a sample to how solid Pathaan is.

Overall, despite screenplay issues and a weak second half, Pathaan does majorly work because of Shah Rukh's screen presence and how well the film sticks to what it set out to do. The intent is clear right from the first scene, where despite having a great opportunity to become a political drama involving India and Pakistan, the film is happy being a spy action, and the mission is a success.

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