In terms of spectacle, one action film is making the competition from Hollywood look pretty old this year: “Jawan”. The blockbuster with superstar Shah Rukh Khan is soon to land on Netflix – in a version that is probably almost 30 minutes (!) longer.
Epic, epic, Shah Rukh Khan. This or something like it is likely to be the conclusion of many action fans at the end of the year when it comes to the most spectacular films of the year – because the Bollywood superstar is in the mix several times in 2023. After “Pathaan”, which started in January, he is currently giving his fans a mega-blockbuster with “Jawan”, in which no stone is left unturned – and which doesn’t allow a second of boredom to arise in 167 minutes. But even this epic running time was too short for you? Then there is now good news:
“Jawan” will be even bigger, longer and more epic in home cinema. A long version of the action thriller has now been announced for the Netflix launch – in which there will be another 30 minutes on top. This means that the running time will grow to about three hours and 15 minutes. That’s almost 200 minutes! While the film will undoubtedly hold the title of the biggest action spectacle of the year, at least for FILMSTARTS editor Daniel Fabian, it will also become one of the biggest and longest films of the year – alongside Martin Scorsese’s eagerly awaited “Flowers Of The Killer Moon”, which even goes one better at 207 minutes.
When the extended cut of “Jawan” will be released is not yet known. According to India Today, director Atlee Kumar (“The Spark – Theri”) wants to create an even more immersive film experience out of his Robin Hood-like action epic – and will include some scenes that were removed for the theatrical release due to running time reasons.
However, it is currently expected that the Netflix launch will be quite timely and still in the coming months.
“JAWAN” IS STILL WORTH SEEING IN THE CINEMA
If the cinema you trust still has “Jawan” in its programme (it is currently still showing in numerous cinemas throughout Germany), we still recommend that you definitely buy a cinema ticket. Because “Jawan” is larger-than-life cinema made for the big screen, the likes of which are rarely served up in Hollywood – and which is best experienced as big and loud as possible.
When Shah Rukh Khan and his cohorts make their first appearance in mega-slow motion, accompanied by a massive soundscape, it can happen that – as in the screening attended by the author of this article – the entire auditorium jumps up, applauds, whistles and cheers. Because “Jawan” offers an escape from reality par excellence and transmits its unbridled energy to its audience in an uncompressed way. The amazing thing about it: despite rampant over-the-top action, the film also has a story to tell – including tragic twists and big emotions, as you wouldn’t expect. And that goes down well – including with our video editor Sebastian:
But the over-the-top actioner is also making big waves: 89 percent positive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes (as of 22 September 2023) are an indication that “Jawan” is being well received by the majority of critics. Above all, however, the audience is enthusiastic. This is reflected, for example, in the racking up of 7.6 out of 10 stars on IMDb as well as at the box office: the film has already grossed over 120 million dollars, making it the sixth most successful Indian film of all time!
In “Jawan”, director Atlee Kumar tells the story of a man who decides to fight injustice in society in Robin Hood style – until one day he is finally caught up by his dark past. And then no stone is left unturned, as the trailer above already makes more than clear.
SRK fans can also look forward to a third film starring their favourite. Dunki” is to follow at the end of the year.
