Shah Rukh Khan is Pathaan.
Literally. Not just the character or ethnicity, but the film itself tells the story of his cultural lineage.
Released on Jan. 25, “Pathaan” is an Indian action-packed thriller directed by Siddharth Anand. The movie is about an Indian agent, played by John Abraham, going rogue and helping Pakistan to take revenge against India.
The film also stars Shah Rukh Khan, also known as SRK, as the title character, Pathaan. Deepika Padukone, a prominent Bollywood actress, also stars opposite SRK as Rubai, who is a Pakistani agent working against Abraham.
Padukone, who debuted in Farah Khan’s classic 2007 hit “Om Shanti Om,” also starred in other films such as “Bajirao Mastani,” “Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani” and
“xXx: Return of Xander Cage.”
It’s another typical undercover spy/forbidden love between an Indian and Pakistani agent, fighting against evil.
If you’re still not familiar with SRK, he is the King of Bollywood (and the King of Romance). He starred in countless classics, including 1995 “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge,” 1998 “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” and 2002 “Devdas.”
“Pathaan” marks a turn towards more action-oriented films for SRK, who in the past has largely done romantic roles.
In an Instagram live in 2022, Khan said that he will no longer be taking on any more of his signature romantic roles, due to his age and “awkward [age] gaps between [him and his] leading ladies.”
This is quite different from his peers who often will continue to star in films with actresses at least 10 years their younger. Despite this, the leads in “Pathaan” share an “awkward” age gap as well.
“Pathaan” was great, but I wouldn’t complain if he goes back to his classic romantic scripts, as long as he’s pursuing an age-appropriate heroine.
In this case, we see another “Mission Impossible” six-pack abs side of him, which is insane for a 57-year-old actor.
The cherry on top was the post-credit scene between him and Salman Khan, addressing the fact that they’re “too old for this” and subtly shading every nepotism baby and industry newcomer.
It’s interesting to see how the styles and trends in Bollywood movies have shifted drastically. In a world of TikTok acting, privileged nepotism babies are starting to take over the industry, downgrading their “art.”
Before, Bollywood was known for its culturally rich themes and emotional content, but due to the power of social media marketing, these standards have changed for two main reasons.
The first one is that these “nepo-babies” can’t act or convey emotion properly, so they disguise their lack of talent under a smoke of fancy stunts and tricks. Money can’t buy talent, but it sure as hell can buy trainers and instructors.
The industry has also changed its standards to accommodate Western audiences. Whether it’s through painfully generic (but catchy) item songs or Instagram-friendly aesthetics, the art has conformed to dull
Hollywood standards.
Pathaan is also defined as “A Pashto-speaking people inhabiting north-west Pakistan and south-east Afghanistan,” according to the Oxford dictionary.
SRK identifies as half Hyderabadi, half Pathaan and part Kashmiri, but was born in Delhi, according to an Aug. 19, 2010 Twitter post.
To be quite honest, the plot itself had nothing unique or special to contribute to the industry.
The most remarkable point throughout the entire plot was Salman Khan’s “Tiger” character cameo from the director’s larger spy franchise. The result is a big bang crossover that will be forever known as the Bollywood version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Although the film had two very catchy songs, a drop-dead gorgeous leading lady, and iconic one-liners and references, none of these can be credited as the primary reason for the film’s popularity.
The main reason behind the film’s success surrounds SRK’s legacy and identity not as a mega-blockbuster hit-making machine, but as a man with roots scattered all over South Asia.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan are the primary countries that are generally considered South Asia, although Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar’s inclusion
are sometimes debated.
Throughout the film, he subtly pays an homage to his extended lineage; both to Kashmir and Afghanistan.
The nod to Kashmir was a bit more subtle but the parallel between Pathaan’s and SRK’s ancestry was executed well.
Although Pathaan identifies as an Indian, his name comes from his Afghan “roots,” similar to SRK’s last name, Khan, coming from his father’s
Afghan/Pathaan ancestry.
Pathaan’s upbringing was in India, but in the film, he sought refuge in Afghanistan and was essentially adopted by a community in the country
as an adult.
The nationalist identities portrayed are definitely treading on dangerous waters, but also show the beautiful blend of cultures and unity amongst the greater South Asian region in general.
Exploring these extremities can also expose the harm of putting pride and borders over people and humanity.
For instance, Abraham’s character is Indian but becomes a traitor after the Indian military decides to not pay ransom for him and his wife when they get kidnapped. He then takes extreme measures in order to seek revenge
on his homeland.
Similarly, in the film, Pakistani General Qadir goes to extreme lengths to get payback on India after the repeal of Article 350.
Article 350 allowed a “certain amount of autonomy” for Kashmir and Jammu, according to a Aug. 6, 2019 BBC article.
For context, Kashmir and Jammu have historically been caught in the crossfire between Pakistan and India since the partition of India after gaining independence from Great Britain in 1947, according to a June 15, 205
New Yorker article.
While both nations are looking to control the territory, Kashmiris have their own cultural identity and have been fighting for independence.
At one point in the film, Rubai, who is Pakistani, says “These are not my people,” and states that her true people would “hang” someone like Qadir once they find out what he’s doing.
It’s a bold move, considering the histories between Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Kashmir.
Regardless, fans are glad that King Khan is finally back and that he’s here to stay.
