Shahrukh Khan’s Jawan, and South India’s obsession with vigilante films

Shahrukh starrer, and Atlee-directed Jawan is grossing big numbers at the box office. Recently, in an interview, Atlee mentioned that the film should go to the Oscars, and he would talk to Shahrukh Khan about it. After that social media started trolling him. They said the film will get the best picture in the ‘copy-paste’ category. 

Atlee films have been infamous for copying story ideas, and plot points from other famous films. Although, today we will not talk about this. We will shed some light on this obsession of putting a ‘message’ in a trope. Atlee is Shankar’s prodigy. Now, you’d ask who is Shankar. He is the director of Anil Kapoor starrer Hindi film Nayak: The Real Hero, Vikram starrer Tamil film Anniyan, or Aparichit, Kamal Hasan starrer 1996- Tamil film Indian, Rajnikanth starrer Shivaji: The Boss, to count of few. But, there is one thing thread which connects all these films. The conscious vigilantism. 

In all the above-mentioned films, the protagonists take on themselves to solve the problems of the system. This happens mostly in a robin-hood kind of way. I would avoid spoilers, but the aforementioned films are great good. Great watches. Krish Jagarlamudi, a Telugu director, made ‘Gabbar is back’ with Akshay Kumar, with almost a similar vigilante plot as Jawan. Apart from Shankar,  A.R. Murugadoss has also movies with social messaging. Salman Khan’s Jai Ho was the remake of Murugadoss's original Telugu movie Stalin.

Should we not make vigilante films

By far they are great films to see, but the solutions are very readily achieved. And, sometimes the messaging feels forced, and even preachy. Did that happen with Jawan, definitely it did. The solutions aren’t simple, and so aren’t problems. These are just a few films which I have mentioned which I liked. There are several other films with vigilantes and social messaging. The uniqueness of these films lies in how they blend the messaging with the mass appeal. That is exactly what Atlee takes pride in as well. He wants to bring back mass without diluting the message. This dilution of the ‘message’ is something that needs to the questioned. For example, how genuine is the intention of the film to raise the issue, instead of just making it a good point for ‘emotional value’ in the film?

Keep reading

• Arikamedu, ancient Indo-Roman trading port in South India, is in a dilapidated state
• Bhopal: Adampur landfill sickens wildlife, forces migratory birds to relocate
• Solar energy sector’s employment raises concerns about long-term stability
• What are alternative livelihoods for Jharkhand coal workers to support ‘Just transition’?
• Revolutionizing Sustainability: India’s Green Skill Development Program Leads the Way

Follow Ground Report for Climate Change and Under-Reported issues in India. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Koo App, Instagram, Whatsapp and YouTube. Write us on [email protected]