Tag: Shahrukh Khan Movie Pathaan

Pathaan

‘Pathaan Has Injected a Fresh Lease of Life Into Bollywood’

By LokMarg

Priyanka Gupta, a socialite and social worker from Lucknow, says the Shahrukh Khan-starrer ticks all the boxes to qualify as a super-duper entertainer

I am very choosy about the movies to be watched in a theatre. Therefore, before buying tickets for Pathaan, I checked its reviews in the media, sought responses of my friends and the occupancy in the cinema halls before placing my buck on it. I am happy to say that the ticket-money was well spent; the film just blew my mind.

Though I am not a die-hard fan of Shahrukh Khan, from the terrific response of the audience in the cinema halls, I can tell you that the Hindi audience was long waiting for an entertainer like Pathaan. This SRK-entertainer has lived up to the expectations and the hype created before the release. Be it the star power, action sequences, choreography, twist & turns, or the high pitch of Rashtravad (nationalism), the movie ticks all the boxes to qualify as a paisa-wasool blockbuster.

The movie’s never-before kind of success came as a big relief for the cinema hall owners, who had been reeling under financial hardships since Covid times. Even after the theatres had reopened, most of the movies were run of the mill and could not book adequate profit. Not just theatre owners, it has also brought much-needed succour for the struggling Bollywood. Many critics had begun to write off Bollywood studios in favour of the South Indian cinema.

Looking into the gloom that prevailed for the past couple of years, Pathaan comes as a breath of fresh air. I think the negative campaign by various outfits against Shahrukh Khan may have also worked in its favour. The audience is not a fool. If the movie gives us the bang for our buck, we shall watch it. I am glad that wisdom prevailed over negativity. All those Boycott Bollywood, saffron bikini, body-shaming messages finally fell flat on their face.

Gupta (left) calls Pathaan a complete entertainer

Deepika Padukone is not the only star who has worn a bhagwa color outfit in a song. I can count any number of songs on fingertips where heroines had put on clothes of similar colour in far more ‘outrageous’ settings with bawdy lyrics. But Team Shahrukh has to face bigger scrutiny for reasons that I would not like to discuss or elaborate here.

ALSO READ: ‘Pathaan Brings Old World Revelry To Theatres’

The story line is entertaining, so is the background music, action sequences (however unbelievable) and a fast pace. Watching it on a large screen was an engrossing experience. I particularly found the Salman Khan’s cameo as one of the movie’s finest moments; Sallu’s entry set the audience on fire. But overall, it was a collective fare. Shahrukh Khan, Deepika, John Abraham, along with other co-stars, delivered a complete massala hit that Bollywood is known for.

The bottom line is audience will decide for themselves which movie to watch and which movie to abandon. Those who are trying to set an agenda in the field of entertainment will not succeed. To quote a cinematic line for the occasion, Indian audience only wants three things from a movie: Entertainment, entertainment and… entertainment.

As told to Rajat Rai

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Pathaan Song Besharam Rang

Hindutva Gang Hates SRK Because He Represents A Plural India

By LokMarg

Vyalok, a Lucknow-based film buff and critic, debunks the controversy over Shahrukh-starrer ‘Pathaan’ and raises other problematic issues related to it

The current controversy over the movie song, Besharam Rang, reminds me of an old interview of Shahrukh Khan. The ‘boycott culture’ was not very prevalent then but it was emerging. The interviewer asked King Khan if was afraid of his films drawing boycott calls over sentiment of a particular segment.

Shahrukh, in his typical disarming smile, responded: “I have a lot of admirers in India. Uncountable. You may call it my arrogance but my admirers would outnumber my haters at any point of time. Second, this boycott thing is a good excuse for anyone who makes a bad film and fails at the box office. I know if my film is not good, it will be a flop.”

This is the straightforwardness and confidence of Shahrukh that makes the Hindutva brigade jealous of him. Just look at his stature. Shahrukh is one of the most widely identified Indian actors worldwide. Shahrukh is the brand ambassador of Dubai. He represents India’s composite culture and tolerance. And that is what riles the Hindutva groups. Clearly, vulgarity and saffron robes were not the real reason behind the protest calls; you can dig out far more vulgarity with similar robes all over the Internet and in popular movies.

His measured response in the face of the Pathaan song controversy – when he talked of positivity –speaks volumes of his maturity as a celebrity. Previously too, he has kept himself calm and composed amid controversies related to his family and films. There are many film actors who have pandered to the political powers that be for commercial gains and support but not Shahrukh.

ALSO READ: ‘Boycott Culture Won’t Work, Nor Will Vulgarity’

Having said that, I would like to add that I did find the Besharam Rang song problematic for reasons other than vulgarity. This pertains to the image of Shahrukh. Allow me to quote from another interview of King Khan with TV anchor Rajdeep Sardesai. In that interview, Khan admitted that he was a slave of his image as projected on the silver screen. This is disconcerting. Do we need to ask Shahrukh why is he still carrying on as an actor with a co-actor half his age? SRK is capable of handling the Hindutva brigade and cancel culture, but he must fight his own demons too.

In the said song, In Besharam Rang song, he appears to be an apology for his past self. Vaibhavi Merchant’s choreography is trying too hard but fails to capitalize on the magic Shahrukh-Deepika couple. Must he resort to this nonsense to remain the ‘King of Romance’?

And it is not only about Shahrukh. All Bollywood actors above 55 years of age need to rethink their roles as they age. Hindi writer Nirmal Verma wrote that “aging is a graceful process”. Even Amitabh Bachchan did not understand this point until his company was doomed and he had to reincarnate himself with a white beard in KBC.

Look at Hollywood. Leave Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Robert De Nero, etc, and even actors like Bruce Willis, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are choosing roles to suit their age. But here, the Hindi Hero is not ready to come out of his Armani suit and six-pack obsession! And then we raise our eyebrows when just one Hindi film gets listed in the Top-10 list of 2022!

If not Hollywood, our Hindi heroes can look closer home at the South superstar Rajinikanth. When he is not on the screen, he can be seen in a kurta-pajama with a bald head. This is not just his simplicity, it is a statement that Rajini Thalaliva sells dreams on the screen. In real life that façade is off, gracefully.

As told to Abhishek Srivastava

Read more: http://13.232.95.176/