SREEPARNA SEN watched Pathan on the very day of its release. Her review of the film tells us what to watch out for –
Did you enjoy the 90s movie era?
The stars, action, and mind-blowing films were basically mindless but visually appealing.
Then Pathan is totally for you.
Are you one of those from the intellectual gang, who love the “logic” of South films but is an overwhelmed critic of Bollywood and nurturing the #Boycott Bollywood slogan? Then this movie is definitely not for you.
What is there for you –
1. Complete action drama. Superb visual. ( Not exactly physics complied but then it was a terrible subject)
2. SRK-Salman collaboration giving total Karan Arjun vibes.
3. Really stunning Deepika Padukone. She was more than an eye candy and got quite a nuanced role in an otherwise macho film
4. Brilliant nemesis played by John Abraham. I do not know if others would agree but I really, really liked him as the villain. Another 2000’s vibing of the original Dhoom.
5. Efficient Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana.
6. The last few seconds of a special scene after the credits rolled out. ( Don’t miss it)
What is not there for you –
1. A unique story. Hope nobody is going to watch this movie for a solid story plot. If you have watched War, Ek Tha tiger – you already know most of the plot.
2. Over preaching of nationalism and jingoism, good Muslim vs bad Muslim, or Hindu vs Muslim. Nay. The movie intelligently promotes harmony without the current trend, which, by the way, was hard as the movie dealt with many current issues like abolishing section 370 in Kashmir or the lockdown.
3. The songs were not at all SRK film worthy.
So I went to watch the late-night show… And had the opportunity to watch a full house, people whistling and jumping off their seats as SRK entered the scene. While the whole day I read stories or tweets about how many single-screen theatres were closed since the lockdown reopened, or how the small hawkers said they made record sales since Bahubali, the real fervour was something definitely to enjoy, giving a glimpse of the era before the advent of OTT. One cannot ignore the ripple effect of such movies on small businesses and this is one of the reasons I can never understand the #BoycottBollywood gang. With movies bowing down the stars suffer the least.
If you are one nostalgic, Bollywood soul like me, then do not miss Pathan. And if you are an SRK fan, he is back, and in a role, you have never seen him before.
SEETA IYER, another Bollywood buff gives us her views in her typical style.
The problem with Bollywood – its star kids are too polished to make a connection with most moviegoers. So we need the ‘papa’ gang to step in and pull their loyal crowd. That very crowd who were in their teens when they first marked their ‘Khan’ and followed them well into their almost sunset of career.
That’s the very crowd who mostly towed their own kids to watch the newest Khan movie. -Pathan.
Bhaiyon and Beheno, we have aged and so have our childhood heroes. So please go with an open mind and don’t expect them to convince you with physics-less action moves and with very shaky VFX.
What is the story, you may ask?
At the start of the movie they say – YRF spy universe. But the elements they borrow from Race series. Thoda sa Happy New Year – with yet another high-security vault (laughable now!). I thought the password “Charlie” hoga! 
I mean only in Hindi movies will they break open vaults like so childishly. And that too they claim – world ki sabse safest vault! And hum dhakkan log Abhi bhi OTP pin ke sahare
The movie’s name is based on its hero- Pathan, but he is reduced to a spectator in most cases.
I admire that the makers realised SRK alone cannot pull off an action hero at this age.
Hence you have a Dimple Kapadia who gives an all-important speech, a Deepika Padukone who fights with goons more than once and a cameo by ‘Bhai’! All to always save him, while he watches around like a darshak, for a few minutes too long.
The heroism of a hero comes out strongly when the villain is someone very powerful or too evil.
John Abraham is not the villain, but to me, he was the real hero!
His entry scene, his physique, his height, he has a better back story (they make you sympathize with him), the movie theme, the entry music for john’s character and not SRK (yeah.. seriously!) and the coolest lines in the whole movie and I guess more screen time and dialogues than SRK.
The main problem is the movie is not John vs SRK, but rather John vs SRK, Dimple, Deepika and even Ashutosh Rana.
Usually, in spy movies, the hero is always two steps ahead of the villain and provides the twist. Here, John Abraham till the last minute is ahead of SRK, unknowingly making SRK’s character look slow.
They even tell him – you fall for us so easily, that’s both comic and worrying.
No wonder the entire audience in the theatre was quiet when a forced aeroplane attack sequence came. No one even reacted when Pathaan saved the day by two seconds. “Kuch toh hoga dekh” somebody said in the theatre, so convinced with Pathan’s tube light!
Coming to chemistry – Deepika looks sexy and sultry. It was funny to see some diehard SRK fans in the theatre, screaming – “Bhai nahiiiii” whenever they both got too close. On-screen virginity maintained
Dimple Kapadia is gorgeous, and can easily pass off as the heroine. I mean SRK has played hero to his daughter, but in this movie in one sequence where SRK is almost shirtless, she looks so chic in her jeans jacket attire and gives him ‘takkar’ for attractiveness.
Overall it’s a good unintended comic movie, no brains are required. Watching it with my teenager was way more fun. She kept on asking me – ‘How? What? Really.. but Aise kaise’ 
And yeah – John Abraham literally sunk his teeth and chewed away everything, while looking hot! Hot! Hot.
To make a Spy universe is challenging and can be stagnating at the same time. To effectively build a fandom for such a concept, it’s invariant that you release continuous material. There is a hint of a crossover of SRK into a bhai movie. It would be fun if they ever make a movie in this series with both the Khans! Just like the old days, but with no romantic interest.. that’s just awkward!
It can be a good ‘Khanversation’!
Please note readers, I am just narrating my experience with this movie. Not trying to influence anybody. It’s a one-time watch. If you leave your brains aside- then it’s paisa vasool. Take your brains inside – then it’s illogical and comic
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