Bollywood blockbuster film Jawan, directed by Atlee Kumar and starring Shahrukh Khan, breaks global records as it roughly made $103 million worldwide after 11 days of release.
Jawan continues to shatter records as it has become the highest-grossing Hindi opener at both the global box office and in the domestic market. Jawan is packed with entertainment, action, and romance, while also speaking about many taboo political subjects.
Jawan translates to “soldier” in Hindi, India’s primary language. In a nutshell, Jawan is about a well-meaning terrorist who tries to rectify the wrongs in society and politics with his all-female team. The story unfolds brilliantly as it draws in many plot twists and political debates.
A top film critic, Subhra Gupta, says, “Fashioned as an unabashed massy entertainer, Jawan slips in strong political messaging at every opportunity, making it a film which is very much of the moment.”
Jawan subtly calls out the fallacies within Indian politics and governance. The main character in the film, Azaad Rathore, played by Khan, exposes major issues in India, such as the mistreatment of farmers, suicides due to debt, the lack of amenities in state-run hospitals, and the importance of voting and questioning your government when casting a ballot. The issues addressed in Jawan are portrayed and inspired by tragic real-life incidents that have occurred in India.
Shahrukh Khan, an extremely famous Indian actor, nicknamed “King Khan” and “King of Bollywood,” stars as the main lead in Jawan. A survey shows that Shah Rukh Khan is more popular than Tom Cruise with about 3.2 billion followers and lovers. Khan was also referred to as “the world’s biggest movie star” by Newsweek when they listed him among the 50 most powerful people in the world in 2008.
Khan has released two films this year after a four-year hiatus from the film industry. Both films have crossed the $130 million mark at box office. Khan’s comeback to the industry is one of the lead reasons Jawan has become such a global sensation.
Jawan has also brought together and united India as a whole. The film brings together many talents from all over the nation, as Khan works alongside Vijay Sethupathi, a major Tamil actor, and Atlee Kumar, a famous South Indian director.
The film continues to represent India, as it was released in three different languages: Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.
While the film does a wonderful job uniting Indians and unveiling the harsh reality of Indian politics, it has led to major controversies within the country. The Hindu publication stated that Jawan is “glorifying vigilante action.” Since Khan plays a well-meaning terrorist in the film, his character may give people the wrong idea.
Despite the film’s controversial opinions, Jawan continues to grow and excel. King Khan’s comeback was welcomed with open arms and theaters full of applause.
