Inside Jawan fan screening: Shah Rukh Khan’s loyal fanbase turns Janmashtami festivities into a double celebration

In one of the most plush multiplexes in South Mumbai’s Lower Parel, the first IMAX show of the day started at 8 am but fans reached the PVR way in advance so that they could click selfies with Shah Rukh Khan’s cut-outs placed all across the theatres. Some showed up in red shirts and black pants to match SRK’s look from the film, others had their face covered in bandages ala their idol. When asked what brings him to watch the film so early in the day, an audience member Sayam said, “I have been an SRKian for life, and after Pathaan I have been waiting for this new avatar of SRK. I want to see him dance, do action and romance. I was so excited that I had to catch the film as soon as possible.”

SRK: Bollywood’s freshly-minted South Indian superstar

Atlee has reinvented Bollywood’s superstar as a South Indian idol in Jawan. In this film SRK is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. It is a no spoiler by now that SRK plays a double role in the film, that of a father and a son, but we won’t tell you about Deepika Padukone‘s character in this story, but you should know that her role is not just a cameo, but an important one. SRK does everything that Rajinikanth or Thalapathy Vijay do but he doesn’t seem to be aping them, he brings a kind of freshness that adds a bit of Bollywood glamour to Atlee’s filmography, to Tamil films.

About catching SRK in all his South Indian glory, Amaya, a 12th class student, says, “It is a different experience watching SRK doing so much action, dance, dialoguebaazi so eloquently is quite an experience. It doesn’t feel like I am watching a Bollywood film, it is a total masala banger from the south. It was such a delight to see Deepika and SRK share the screen again this year, I love the arc of their story.”

Jawan: A masala banger that makes political statements

While Jawan is a total banger of a film, it is also a poignant film, a film that discusses political issues overtly, it criticises how society treats the underprivileged as those with power use it ignominiously. It is a film that feels like Swades on steroids; an immersive experience that is louder and massier than anything you have seen recently. There are paisa-vasool dialogues designed to whip up a frenzy, and the audience doesn’t disappoint. The moment SRK says dialogues like ‘bete ko haath lagane se pehle baap se baat kar,’ people are on their feet, clapping for their fave.

A doctor couple who caught the show before going to their clinic for the day, say, “We both wanted to watch the film because our son is a big SRK fan and he booked our tickets. We didn’t know what to expect from this film because we’ve not watched Atlee’s films before but we have thoroughly enjoyed it and the film also makes a point. It will enlighten the citizens about their rights and duties before the upcoming elections. We loved how Jawan is both entertaining and topical.”

Jawan’s gang of girls

Jawan is not all about Shah Rukh Khan alone, the girl gang in the film, including Priyamani, Sanya Malhotra among others, shine in the film. “While I have always loved SRK and loved him in Jawan, it was great to see Priyamani play such an impressive role. I loved Sanya in Dangal and now she’s in her element once again,” said Shekhar, who has watched the film twice already.

The menacing Vijay Sethupathi

Great heros need great villains. Jawan gets one in Vijay Sethupathi who has built a huge fan following for himself with his performances. Vijay, who was widely loved for his role as an inspector in Raj and DK’s Farzi, plays a dangerous arms dealer in Jawan. While Vjay’s role leaves a long-lasting impact on the viewer, one also comes out of the cinema hall wanting to see more of him, more of his madness and wild laughter and funny antics.