Why Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan is almost an extension of the Bollywood star’s persona — The Established
WHILE THE RECORD-BREAKING FILM MAY DEPEND ON AN AGE-OLD FORMULA TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES, THE HUMANISATION OF ITS PROTAGONIST IS A WELCOME ADDITION
Indian audiences, especially mass movie-goers, have a strange affinity for action heroes, nationalism and the masculine endeavours of rock-ribbed men. Put all three together, and you have a blockbuster right there. After a four-year-long hiatus, Shah Rukh Khan is back on the silver screen with Pathaan — a spy thriller directed by Siddarth Anand and produced by Yash Raj Films.
In Pathaan, Khan saves the country, gets into car and bike chases across exotic locations, breaks into impenetrable vaults and suspends from the air. This pretty much amounts to a template for every commercial action movie that has been released of late. It is that, or period dramas, where ripped men fight off animals, colonialists and evil leaders. Most of these films are high on testosterone, and involve an insane dosage of stoicism, virility and unnecessary jingoism with saffron undertones.
OF ACTION HEROES AND MACHISMO
Pathaan could have easily fit into that template, but it did not. It may be a full fan-service to the god-like aura of Shah Rukh Khan, the hero, but it is also an ode to Khan, the man we love and cherish so dearly. Like Khan himself, Pathaan refuses to become a stone-cold killer because of his profession or circumstances. He is a mard, jisko dard hota hai, contrary to the popular saying that has been ingrained in our social fabric.
Sohini Chattopadhyay, a historian and PhD candidate at Columbia University says, ‘“What I found particularly interesting was the way he [Khan as Pathaan] winces in pain, after saying that ‘mard ko dard nahi hota’, and then quickly pops a painkiller. It also goes on to say that despite all the theatrics, there is a moment of vulnerability, and the humanisation of a soldier. Just the general idea that older action heroes are depending on medicine is amusingly admirable.”
Mirza Arif Beg, an editor at a news content agency, explains the film’s subversive take on gender.”There are instances where Shah Rukh plays second fiddle to Deepika Padukone. For example the scene after the song Besharam Rang, where Padukone fights off the goons, while Khan gladly just stands there enjoying as a mere spectator, a rare sight in an action film where men always take centre stage. In the same scene, Khan exclaims, “women!”, an expression that is a sexist jibe but is, instead, used here to marvel at Padukone’s combating finesse.”
“DESPITE ALL THE THEATRICS, THERE IS A MOMENT OF VULNERABILITY, AND THE HUMANISATION OF A SOLDIER. JUST THE GENERAL IDEA THAT OLDER ACTION HEROES ARE DEPENDING ON MEDICINE IS AMUSINGLY ADMIRABLE”
— Sohini Chattopadhyay
THE POLITICS OF PATRIOTISM
Beg further comments on why the film is an unusual patriotic action film, adding, “While the film is not cutthroat anti-establishment, since it’s a commercial film, it does make a lot of political commentary. There’s a scene in which Colonel Luthra [Ashutosh Rana] tells Pathaan that we don’t negotiate with terrorists, and therefore, couldn’t save Jim’s [John Abraham] family. Pathaan instantly responds by saying how the treatment for ministers is different from that of soldiers.”
Beg elucidates, saying, “There’s this look of disgust on his face that tells you that he is sickened with the system, despite being a part of it.”
However, Chattopadhyay says, “The one thing that disappointed me was the mention of Article 370, which has become a mandatory addition in patriotic movies, despite having no significance to the plot. It felt like it was put to massage some political elements, which was sad, because there was no need to do so.”
She adds, “At the same time, I do believe that the writers of Pathaan were politically conscious unlike those of other action films. There’s one thing that I really liked and I don’t know if this was done consciously or not, but in the film, Khan isn’t born a Muslim, he chooses to be one. He chooses to be a Pathaan, and willingly adopts Afghanistan as a family. Surprisingly, Afghanistan is not a victim here; it is the saviour, the home, and that, I think, is a very powerful narrative.”
Pathaan is a mard, jisko dard hota hai, contrary to the popular saying that has been ingrained in our social fabric
THE SHAH RUKH KHAN SYNDROME
Pathaan is also not one of those cool films to come out of Bollywood, that tries so hard to be cool, that it is cringeworthy. It is self-aware, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, with the help of dialogue writer Abbas Tyrewala, whose meta writing jokes about the age of Bollywood’s two biggest superstars, blends Khan with his on-screen character, and, in turn, allows Pathaan to be a welcome extension of the star, rather than a sad rebranding of the actor.
Upon being asked whether Pathaan humanises the soldier, Beg argues, saying, “There’s an element of truth there, but I believe that it has more to do with Shah Rukh Khan. It is only because he plays the character that you believe so. It is him who brings in that charm, pain, love and vulnerability.”
“Pathaan felt like an extension of the actor’s persona. Khan’s action hero is like the actor himself, all heart and courage. Subverting the action star template, Pathaan is someone who fails, fumbles and when not in the battleground, is a guy like you and me,” says Priyanka Sharma, a special correspondent at Midday.
Sharma further elaborates on why Khan makes all the difference. When Shah Rukh Khan plays an action hero, women become the saviour, which is again something that makes Pathaan almost path-breaking in the genre. Khan’s action hero doesn’t wear his machismo on his sleeve but uses his power only for who he loves, his country, his people. Khan’s Pathaan is ruled by heart, led by courage.”
Alas, much like Pathaan, who is abandoned in a cinema hall and serves the nation, Khan is a man of the movies, in service to our fangirling hearts. Pathaan is the proof, an action-film, that is, in essence, a love letter from Khan to his fans.
Origially published in The Established —
