Jawan

Story:

Jawan is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Atlee in his Hindi film debut. Produced by Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma under Red Chillies Entertainment, the movie stars Shah Rukh Khan in a dual role as a father and son teaming up to combat corruption. Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone (in a special appearance), Priyamani, and Sanya Malhotra appear in supporting roles.

Principal photography began in September 2021, with filming locations including Pune, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Rajasthan, and Aurangabad. The film’s soundtrack and background score were composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with cinematography by G. K. Vishnu and editing by Ruben. Some scenes were re-shot simultaneously for the Tamil version of the film, including Khan’s appearance in the song “Zinda Banda” (“Vandha Edam” in Tamil), Sethupathi’s parts, and scenes featuring Yogi Babu.

Initially planned for release on 2 June 2023, Jawan was postponed due to unfinished post-production work and eventually hit theaters on 7 September 2023, coinciding with Janmashtami. The film received positive reviews from critics, who praised the performances, screenplay, action sequences, and music. Jawan broke several box-office records for a Hindi film, surpassing those set by Khan’s previous release, Pathaan (2023). With a gross of over ₹1,148.32 crore (US$140 million), it became the highest-grossing Indian film of 2023, the second-highest-grossing Hindi film, and the fifth highest-grossing Indian film overall.

Plot

Azad, the warden of a women’s prison in Mumbai, takes control of a Mumbai Metro train with six inmates: Lakshmi, Eeram, Ishkra, Kalki, Helena, and Janhvi. He negotiates with NSG officer Narmada Rai for the release of the passengers in exchange for ₹40,000 crore from the Agriculture Minister. Kalee Gaikwad, a global arms dealer, learns that his daughter Alia is among the captives and agrees to fund the deal. Azad plans to use the money to waive the loans of 700,000 impoverished farmers. After transferring the funds to the farmers’ accounts, Azad and his gang escape. He reveals his true identity, Vikram Rathore, to Kalee through Alia.

Azad later marries Narmada and kidnaps the Health Minister, demanding better hospital infrastructure. The demands are met, and Azad and his gang escape again. Narmada discovers Azad’s real identity after their wedding, leading to a confrontation with Kalee’s brother, Manish, who captures and tortures them. Azad is rescued by his lookalike, Vikram Rathore. Narmada learns about Azad and Vikram’s connection while disguised as an inmate.

In 1986, Vikram Rathore was a commando in the Indian Army’s Special Ops unit. During an operation, his team suffered casualties due to faulty weapons supplied by a young Kalee. Vikram and his team filed a complaint, prompting Kalee to attack Vikram and his wife, Aishwarya. Aishwarya was imprisoned for killing three corrupt cops, while Vikram was presumed dead. Aishwarya raised their son, Azad, to seek justice and prove his father’s innocence. Vikram survived but lost his memory, being rescued by a tribal group in northeast India.

In the present, it is revealed that Narmada’s subordinate Irani is working for Kalee. Irani attempts to shoot them, resulting in Lakshmi’s death. Azad kills Irani, steals Kalee’s trucks, and with his father, his team, and his father’s friends, plans to use the trucks’ contents, money intended for elections, to further his mission. Vikram and his team are captured by Kalee’s henchmen. Azad releases a video demanding the closure of 253 polluting factories. The government complies, and a fight between Azad, Vikram, and Kalee ends with Kalee’s death. STF officer Madhavan Naik assigns Azad a new mission targeting Swiss banks a few months later.