Jawan: Solutions for the common man

This is a short review of the blockbuster Hindi movie ‘Jawan’ with the evergreen heart throb Shah Rukh Khan. Review is short as that is as much as I can say about this film!

Credits for poster of Jawan:: Red Chillies Entertainmene (Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawan_(film)

Jawan is a one man – 6 woman team that solves the problems facing the common man today. Did I say one man? Oops, sorry. There is another man too. And 6 women? Oops, it is plus one woman. So does that make it a woman oriented movie? Not in my definition anyway. I am not going to narrate the story with all its twists and turns that unfolds in the theatre. You can read the story line on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jawan_(film). The story seemed more sane on Wikipedia than when I watched it in a movie theatre!

I was fascinated by the 5 issues, mainly facing the common man, that Atlee, the Director and writer, picked up for his movie Jawan. I can hardly describe the ‘artistic’ process of describing these issues, and only note that there WAS a method in the madness! Or was there?

Here is a summary of the issues tackled by Atlee through Shah Rukh Khan and the solutions suggested. I give it to them, the problems are real. The solutions? Don’t worry, I am not going to discuss them as an Economist.

1. Agricultural Loans: He hits at a sore point. Why does one industrialist get a loan waiver of ₹400 billion and the farmers have to repay a loan of only ₹40,000? Method: Hijack a Metro that the daughter of the industrialist rides, easy. Solution: Take the amount from Industry, rather one industrialist Kalee, and distribute to the farmers as loan repayment, aka Robin Hood!

2. Hospitals in rural and peri-urban areas without oxygen cylinders and basic equipment: The target is the health minister who is boasting of having equipped all rural hospitals and clinics with state of the art equipment. Method: Shoot the Minister and take him to the rural hospital that obviously lacks all equipment and facilities! Solution: Within the deadline of five hours all rural hospitals in the country are cleaned up (including the toilets) and equipped.

3. Defence contracts. Defence for the title Jawan meaning soldier. Kalee, is also a global arms dealer. He provides defective guns to the army and Shah Rukh Khan Senior, Vikram Rathore, and his team face losses in a special operation. Method: Vikram proceeds against Kalee and the tables are turned on him, where he is disgraced and framed as a traitor. Solution: Not sure I found it in all the action, which flashes by so fast that one misses part of it. There is fire, darkness, frames of people flying, along with bullets, knives, spears, and not sure what else I missed.

4. Environmental pollution from industry. This problems takes very little of the screen time. Appears in a flash and is solved in a flash as well. Solution: lock down all polluting industries.

5. Elections: Method: Steal all Kalee’s money intended for influencing election results, as well as steal all the voting machines so that elections cannot be held. Solution: The only long term solution presented in the movie is this one. It is an appeal to the common man on prime time television: Think before you vote. Ask the politicians how they plan to solve the problems of employment, education, health and growth of the economy! I almost stood up and clapped my hands!

I would still say it is worth a watch! Go to the theatre and leave your mind and brains behind! Definitely do not apply your economist brains. Enjoy, entertainment of the year!