Going to go against the grain here and say the move deserved a 3. Feels like Tulasi was going for a 4 but didn't want to get obliterated by a section of the audience. I am one of SRK's biggest fans but the movie just didn't work for me. Feels like the movie editor tried to salvage the lack of a coherent, smooth-flowing screenplay by just cramming in 4 movies and 5 social issues into one.
We need directors and producers who understand cinema. This year alone, movies like Across the Spiderverse and GOTG3, and games like FFVI and Zelda ToTK have shown how you can tell expansive stories while keeping the audience engaged. Our directors need to take a break between movies for a couple of months and figure out (i) what themes they want to focus on and (ii) what story-telling techniques they want to employ to engage the audience. If not, all we end up with is a mish-mash of Shankar movies+MGS+Vikramarkudu+Money Heist+Fast series+anime inspirations.
SRK, I am happy your stardom is going back to where it should be and you're making a ton of money in the process, but please aim for coherence in your scripts. Sincerely, a die-hard fan.
P.S. Deepika Padukone's segment really resonated with me. Felt like she brought a lot of dignity to her role and that was my favorite part of the movie (not in a sadistic way).
To understand why a film like Jawan got made, you have to pay attention to what Shah Rukh Khan confesses to the camera in the 2023 Netflix documentary The Romantics. Playfully, he frets about his career as the Lover Boy of Indian cinema. Back when he started, he reveals, he actually aspired to be an action hero, but the overwhelming success of DDLJ destined him to a lifetime of romance and drama. All anybody ever wanted him to be was Raj or Rahul. And so he serenaded audiences for 30 years before taking a hiatus. No doubt he rid his closet of fuzzy cashmere sweaters during that break. Because ....