Preston Rodrigues

**Pathaan** is an action-packed spy thriller directed by Siddharth Anand and produced by Aditya Chopra. The movie stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, and Dimple Kapadia in lead roles ¹. The film is an origin story of an ex-army man turned undercover agent Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) and his arch-nemesis, Jim (John Abraham) ¹. The movie has all the ingredients of a masala potboiler — slow-motion entries, iconic battle of good versus bad, and most importantly, a sexy-smouldering Shah Rukh Khan, who can fight the good fight on and off the screen ¹. The plot follows India’s revocation of article 370 (special status of Jammu and Kashmir) and its impact on a Pakistani officer who wants India to pay for this ‘mistake’ ¹. He reaches out to the formidable Jim, an Ex-RAW agent wronged by his own people. He is joined by his ravishing accomplice Rubai an ex-ISI agent (Deepika Padukone) with ambiguous motives. Pathaan, Jim and Rubai lock eyes and horns as they hop continents and indulge in a dangerous game of betrayal and revenge. The three race to destroy and protect the worlds they believe in ¹. The movie is an ambitious action thriller that plays to the gallery and lives up to the hype ¹². It's a true spy thriller with globe-trotting action. The locations are breathtaking. The visual setting is lavish and grand. The ice stunts are reminiscent of a James Bond film. However, the stunts are truly large-scale, visioned, and executed. We see jet planes flying through the air and helicopter battles ³. Overall, **Pathaan** is an entertaining globetrotting spy thriller that’s massy, messy, and outlandish ¹. It's an event film of sorts since it marks Shah Rukh Khan’s return to the big screen after four long years ². If you're looking for a fun time at the movies with some over-the-top action sequences, then this movie is definitely worth watching.