When the teaser for Jawan was released, Shah Rukh Khan, who is both the lead actor and producer of the film, essentially verified what had been circulating that 2023 would be the year when SRK proves to the world that he never left and, more importantly, was here to stay.
The teaser for the high-octane action-entertainer, directed by Atlee, had everything that SRK fans crave. Their idol in a new outfit (or outfits), uttering whistle-worthy dialogues in a raspy voice, having shades of grey, and appearing in epic action set pieces following epic action set pieces. To nobody’s surprise, the preview had 112 million views in 24 hours. It also helped that Jawan features two of the South’s biggest stars, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi, who have a devoted fan base. With their addition, as well as that of Atlee and composer Anirudh, SRK is hoping to do something no Bollywood actor has done before: break into the South market and achieve box-office success.
Whether he succeeds or fails will be revealed on September 7, when the film will premiere in theaters. However, the industry is already buzzing about how Jawan’s first look contains all of the ingredients required to make a commercial potboiler work. Pathaan fans are already obsessed with the notion that Deepika Padukone makes a cameo in the film and gets her own action set piece. No picture starring the duo has ever been a box-office flop. Despite its negative reviews, Happy New Year was not a flop.
After starring in Pathaan, the highest-grossing Hindi film of all time in India and one of the year’s biggest global hits, Khan will be seeking to replicate, if not exceed, the success of the spy action thriller. Khan is likely to follow that film’s marketing strategy, skipping pre-release media interviews and instead engaging with his fan base through social media. Khan’s unexpected #AskSRK Twitter sessions have become the talk of the town, and are considered as a successful technique to do the actor’s bidding keep the audience satiated by giving them dollops of wit and some knowledge tossed in.
So, what exactly does the Jawan trailer reveal? It implies that the performer is playing a vigilante. That he has an all-female team, including Sanya Malhotra, who assists the “Chief” with his goal. We all know that the scale is massive, whether it’s action or music. Bullets will fly, cars will be blown apart, and slo-mo stunts will be performed. The everlasting romantic hero, Shah Rukh Khan, takes a back seat; it’s time for the action hero to rule.