I watched the much talked about multi-starrer, Pathan on first day, last show.
Though at the outset, let me tell you, I’m not an SRK fan so my review is unbiased & authentic.
In one word the movie was ENTERTAINING and my reason for watching a movie is entertainment only, like many others I know.Some spoilers are there so read ahead at your own risk.
What worked for me
John Abraham with his limited acting skills has created quite an impact. Perhaps his best performance till date. An extension of anti-hero role from Dhoom, he is clearly the highlight of this film.
Deepika’s role isn’t as diluted as I expected a woman in a Hindi action movie to be. She offers much more than just being a eye candy grooving to beshasram rang.
SRK has quit his larger than life persona & shared screen space gracefully with others. Action overpowered emotions which isn’t expected in a SRK movie.
I’m a Bond movies fan & this reminded me of those spy thrillers. With M as a female boss, double meanings, sexual innuendos & action packed scenes across land, air & water.
I’m a fan of cameos & loved the scenes planted in this movie as well, even if it’s simply cross promotion. It was good to see Karan & Arjun come together and their natural chemistry is unmatched.
What didn’t work for me
It’s unrealistic or silly in places with over the top special effects. It belongs more to a super hero film genre perhaps.
Story while it exists could’ve been better explained with some loose ends. It came across as far fetched & average in writing but high on star power.
Somehow John’s reasons for being bitter were legit & he didn’t come across as a villain. In fact he fit the perfect hero image with his short haircut unlike SRK.
The dose of patriotism on Republic day weekend is somewhat forced and didn’t appeal to me. It could’ve been depicted tastefully rather than throwing in all elements of politics, religion, scientific research and humanity.
My Verdict
It’s gripping, interesting and action packed with glamorous leads – I didn’t find any dull moment all through.
Overall it’s a one time watch in theatre or you can wait for it to come on OTT. And one tip, if you decide to watch the movie, wait for post credits scene – it’s worth it!