Atlee’s Jawan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, has been a huge success since its release. After enjoying worldwide theatrical success, Jawan released on Netflix on November 2, 2023. The movie has not only taken Indian screens by storm but also left audience wanting for more. Moreover, those who wish to see the film and experience the hype once again can now watch the Atlee directorial on Netflix.
Jawan opens with a mystery
The film opens with Shah Rukh Khan‘s character in a bloody, near-death state. Fortunately, he is saved by local villagers who employ traditional healing methods. However, peace doesnt prevail for long as a group of local militants wreak havoc on the village. A mysterious stranger, still shrouded in bandages, emerges as the savior and confronts the militants with equal measures of brutality and violence.
As the action unfolds, the bandages start to reveal the stranger’s identity, with his first words posing a poignant question, “Who am I?” A young child from the village, who is grateful for the stranger’s help, pledges to help him uncover his true identity.
The narrative then shifts to a bustling metropolis, where Shah Rukh Khan reemerges as Vikram Rathore. Aided by a group of fearless women, Vikram leads a daring mission to hijack a local metro train. When news of the hijacking spreads, Narmada Rai (Nayanthara) negotiates with Vikram.
Shah Rukh Khan’s character demands a substantial amount of money from the agriculture minister. Unbeknownst to many, Alia, the daughter of weapons tycoon Kaali Gaekwad (Vijay Sethupathi), is also aboard the train. In a bid to rescue his daughter, Kaali swiftly transfers the ransom, which Vikram’s team channels into the accounts of debt-ridden farmers across India.
Azad continues deceiving Narmada
As Narmada and her forces attempt to apprehend Vikram and his band of hijackers, Vikram and his team employ cunning distractions to evade capture. In the eyes of the media and the public, Vikram Rathore becomes a modern-day Robin Hood figure. The women are revealed to be Vikram’s associates, which included Eeram, Lakshmi, Kalki, Helena, and Ishkra. They are inmates of a women’s prison. It is then revealed that Vikram Rathore is actually the jailer of the prison, whose name is Azad. However, the true motivations of Azad and his team remain shrouded in mystery.
Azad continues his missions in the name of Vikram Rathore. Along with his team, he puts an end to a lot of social injustice which has been happening throughout the years. In a twist of fate, Azad and Narmada get involved in an arranged marriage after the latter’s daughter, Suchi, gets attached to Azad.
Narmada marries Azad, but she soon discovers that Azad is indeed Vikram Rathore. Heartbroken and dejected, she confronts Azad. However, they get captured by Kaali’s brother, Manish, and his henchmen. Azad and Narmada are rescued by a man who looks identical to Azad. After rescuing the duo, the man takes away Azad with him.
Azad’s backstory revealed
Narmada’s anger toward Azad intensifies, leading her to feign imprisonment with Eeram, Kalki, and others to learn more about Azad’s motivations. She uncovers Azad’s backstory. It is then revealed, Azad’s father was Captain Vikram Rathore from the Indian Army. He was framed as a national traitor by Kaali, after Vikram exposed him of selling malfunctioning weapons.
He kidnapped and tried to kill Vikram, framing him as a traitor. When Vikram’s wife, Aishwarya (Deepika Padukone), refused to play along and ended up killing three cops in self-defense, she was got a death sentence. But Aishwarya’s unexpected pregnancy gave her an extended lease of life because Indian law does not allow the death penalty for women with kids younger than five years.
For five years, Azad lived among the prison inmates with his mother. When Azad turned five, Aishwarya was hanged to death, just like Kaali had planned. Azad was then adopted by Kaveri Amma (Ridhi Dogra), the jailer of the prison. When Azad grew up, he became the jailer of the prison and helped the many women who, like his mother, were wrongfully imprisoned. By using his father’s name, he also intended to give him the justice he deserved.
How does Jawan end?
In present day, Azad realizes that his father, Vikram, is alive but has no memory of himself. He tries to regain his memories but to no success. However, Vikram still joins his son in his mission to destroy Kaali. The father-son duo are successful when they are able to finally kill Kaali in the same way Aishwarya was killed.
With Kaali out of the way, Azad and Vikram find themselves in a paradise in the post-credits scene. Surprisingly, Madhavan Nair, the cop assigned to capture Azad during the prison hostage situation, turns out to be Azad’s accomplice. The ending suggests a potential sequel with another mission involving the Swiss Bank, an organization known for harboring Indian black money.
