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This is an archive article published on September 24, 2023

Atlee on Jawan’s multiple plot lines being ‘too much to digest’, killing puppy, overuse of slow-motion and violence

Jawan director Atlee explained his filmmaking philosophy and shed light on why the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer incorporated multiple plot lines, slow-motion shots and balanced violence.

Atlee shah rukh jawanAtlee in a cameo appearance in Shah Rukh Khan's Jawan's song Zinda Banda.
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Atlee on Jawan’s multiple plot lines being ‘too much to digest’, killing puppy, overuse of slow-motion and violence
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Jawan has now surpassed Pathaan to become the highest-grossing Hindi movie of all time in India. The film also served as an introduction for Hindi-speaking audiences to Atlee’s cinema, characterised by multiple plot lines, slow-motion action sequences, and dual roles. In a recent conversation with Film Companion, Atlee explained his filmmaking philosophy and shed light on why Jawan incorporated these elements.

Addressing the inclusion of multiple plot lines in Jawan, which he admitted could be ‘too much to digest’ for some, Atlee shared, “Our audience has diverse tastes. Certain people will love the father-daughter scenes, some will love the action bit, some will love the emotional bits, something you will take from the film. The ‘ensemblity’ will make you satisfied. That is my rhythm. I need multiple stories, I need multiple plots to make a film. For instance, if you go to a village carnival, you will have a giant wheel, you will have dosa happening, and at the end of the day, when you come out of it, you will be like ‘superb.’ So, my films should have entertainment and when you go back, you should be like, ‘Yeah, I have learnt something.’ Overall, it should entertain, that’s my principle on making a film.”

On the topic of how violence is depicted in Jawan, Atlee clarified, “Violence is defined by the way it is shown on the screen. It should create an impact but it should not be gory. That’s my evaluation. It depends on the genre and the pain you have to give to your audience. The puppy with whom we shot, his name was Bunty and it was amazing to act with him. When we would tell him to lie down, he will do that. It was painful for me to see him get killed on the screen too, but we were trying to give hard-hitting scenes. I want to appeal to the 6 to 60 audience and I measure it well. Without injection you can’t cure a fever, so sometimes injections are okay, if it has a reason and a responsibility.”

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Discussing his frequent use of slow-motion shots, Atlee explained, “More than a match, you like to watch a reply. So, it’s a mood. It’s not a new shot division that I have cracked. I have a different aesthetics to it, and when I punctuate it, I do it in a phantom. I think phantom will always be there in my films. It works for the audience and it works for me as well. I love it.”

Jawan has achieved a remarkable box office collection of Rs 546 crore in India to date, surpassing Pathaan’s lifetime collection of Rs 543 crore. The film featured Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara, and Vijay Sethupathi in leading roles, with Deepika Padukone making an extended cameo appearance.

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