Pathaan (2023) Review – The Comeback That Reignited Bollywood

★★★★☆ Our Rating: 7/10

Some films are judged as films. Pathaan had to be judged as an event first. When it opened on 25 January 2023, Shah Rukh Khan had not headlined a film in over four years, Hindi cinema was still arguing about whether audiences would return to theatres in big numbers, and the spy thriller carried the weight of an entire industry’s hopes on its shoulders. That it succeeded, and succeeded spectacularly, is now history. The more interesting question, with the noise settled, is whether the film itself holds up as a piece of entertainment. The honest answer is: mostly, yes, with caveats.

Directed by Siddharth Anand, the filmmaker behind the sleek action hit War, Pathaan is the fourth entry in the YRF Spy Universe and the first to lean fully into crossover energy. It sends its hero across continents in pursuit of a rogue former agent with a biological weapon, a plot you have seen variations of many times before. What lifts it is pace, star presence and a clear understanding of what a big Republic Day crowd wants: glamour, scale, emotion in just the right doses, and a hero worth cheering for after a long absence.

It is not a profound film, and it does not try to be. Its dialogue winks, its physics bends, and its plot twists rely on convenience as often as logic. But as a two-and-a-half-hour theatrical ride, it knows its job and does it with style.

Here is our honest breakdown of where Pathaan soars and where it settles for formula.

Quick Facts: Pathaan at a Glance

The Story: A Rogue Agent and a Race Against a Virus (Spoiler-Free)

The film begins against the backdrop of a major political decision regarding Jammu and Kashmir, which pushes a senior Pakistani general to hire a private terror outfit for revenge against India. That outfit, called Outfit X, is led by Jim, a former Indian agent who was once decorated for bravery and is now believed to have gone rogue after a personal tragedy left him bitter towards the system he served.

India’s answer is Pathaan, a field agent who has been operating in exile and carries his own history of sacrifice. He works with a special unit that brings back skilled officers who were forced out of active service but still want to serve. His handler and mentor figure is Nandini, played by Dimple Kapadia, who trusts his instincts even when his methods stretch the rules. His commanding officer, Colonel Luthra, is less sentimental and watches every move with suspicion.

The trail leads Pathaan to Rubina Mohsin, known as Rubai, a former Pakistani intelligence operative now living a very different life in Spain. Rubai holds a key to understanding what Jim is building, a project codenamed Raktbeej, but her loyalties are impossible to read. Is she a partner, a double agent, or playing a longer game of her own? Their uneasy alliance takes them from Spain to Moscow to Siberia and beyond, chasing a weapon that could devastate a city without a single conventional explosion.

We will leave the twists there. The story structure will feel familiar to anyone who has watched global spy franchises: a MacGuffin, a betrayal, an ally in custody, a daring rescue by a familiar face from another film in the universe, and a finale that keeps raising the stakes from laboratory to missile to passenger aircraft. Familiarity is both the film’s comfort and its limitation. You are rarely surprised by where it goes, but the ride between the beats is executed with enough energy that you mostly do not mind.

Performances: Three Stars, Three Different Energies

Shah Rukh Khan as Pathaan understands exactly what this comeback required. He plays the role leaner and rougher than his romantic image, letting the scars, literal and otherwise, show. His Pathaan is witty under pressure, loyal to a fault and quietly haunted, and Khan balances the action-hero posing with small moments of vulnerability that keep the character human. The physical transformation drew headlines, but the performance matters more: he never lets the film’s scale swallow his screen presence, and his comic timing in tense scenes is a reminder of how much charisma can carry a formula plot.

Deepika Padukone as Rubina Mohsin is far more than decoration, which matters because the trailers sold glamour first. Rubai is capable, conflicted and central to the plot’s turns, and Padukone plays her with cool control. She handles demanding action choreography convincingly and brings emotional credibility to a backstory that could have felt rushed. Her chemistry with Khan, established across earlier films together, gives their uneasy partnership a warmth that the script alone does not fully earn. If the writing lets her down anywhere, it is in how quickly some of her loyalties shift for plot convenience.

John Abraham as Jim gives the film its most pleasant surprise. Villains in this genre often shout; Abraham underplays. His Jim is calm, articulate and driven by a grievance the film actually takes time to explain, which makes him more interesting than a standard megalomaniac. His physical presence makes the confrontations believable, and his scenes with Khan carry genuine tension about two men shaped by the same system in opposite ways. At times the film tells us Jim is brilliant more than it shows us, but Abraham’s performance bridges the gap.

Dimple Kapadia as Nandini brings gravitas and warmth in limited screen time, and her arc provides the film’s most effective emotional beat. Ashutosh Rana as Colonel Luthra reprises his universe role with dependable authority. A much-discussed cameo by another superstar of the universe arrives at exactly the moment the energy needs lifting, and the playful banter in that stretch, including a self-aware post-credits conversation, drew some of the loudest reactions in cinemas.

Direction and Technical Execution

Siddharth Anand directs action as spectacle with a tourist’s eye for locations. Cinematographer Satchith Paulose shoots Spain, Russia, Dubai and the Indian sequences with glossy, postcard polish, while editor Aarif Sheikh keeps the film moving at a clip that disguises how thin some connective scenes are. The train sequence that introduces the famous cameo, the chase work in Spain, and the frozen-lake action in Siberia are the technical highlights, staged with a mix of practical stunt work and digital enhancement.

The film was notably the first Indian production to shoot at Siberia’s Lake Baikal, and that sequence earns its keep visually. Anand also understands the value of the hero shot: Khan’s entries, exits and slow-motion turns are engineered for whistles, and in a packed hall they work exactly as designed.

The weaknesses are familiar for this scale of production. Visual effects quality varies noticeably, with a few sequences, particularly involving aerial action, looking weightless in a way that breaks immersion. The second half piles set piece upon set piece with minimal breathing room, so by the final confrontation some viewers will feel action fatigue. Logic also takes regular holidays: characters survive falls, recover instantly and arrive precisely when needed. None of this is unusual for the genre, but Pathaan leans on coincidence a touch more than its best competitors.

Music and Background Score

Pathaan takes an unusual approach for a Hindi film: it has only two full songs, and both became enormous. Vishal–Shekhar composed the tracks, with lyrics by Kumaar, while Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara provided the background score and the character themes.

The first song, a sun-soaked beach number filmed in Spain, dominated headlines before release for its styling and choreography and then dominated playlists after it. Sung principally by Shilpa Rao, whose performance later won a Filmfare Award, it gives Padukone a showcase and establishes the film’s glamorous tone. The second song, the celebratory title-adjacent dance number featuring Khan and Padukone, sung by Arijit Singh and Sukriti Kakar, is built for the end-credits energy that spills into the aisles, and its hook steps were everywhere for months.

The decision to keep the album short works in the film’s favour. There is no romantic ballad halting the mission, and the story’s momentum survives intact. The score does the heavy lifting instead: Jim’s theme gives the villain a recognisable musical identity, Pathaan’s theme signals the hero’s arrival with satisfying punch, and the crossover moment in the train sequence cleverly weaves in a familiar theme from elsewhere in the universe. If anything, the score occasionally shouts where it could whisper, but subtlety was never this film’s brief.

What Works and What Doesn’t

What we loved:

• Shah Rukh Khan’s comeback performance blends action-hero intensity with the wit and warmth only he brings, making formula feel fresh.
• John Abraham’s calm, motivated villain and Deepika Padukone’s capable, central heroine raise the film above a one-man show.
• The pace, locations and best set pieces, especially the train sequence and the Siberia stretch, deliver genuine big-screen thrills.
• Two chart-dominating songs and a punchy background score give the film a strong musical identity without slowing it down.

What could be better:

• The plot is predictable and leans heavily on coincidence, with twists that spy-film regulars will see coming early.
• Visual effects are inconsistent, and the relentless second-half action can tip from exhilarating into exhausting.
• Emotional beats, apart from Nandini’s arc, are sketched quickly in the rush to reach the next set piece.

Box Office: The Film That Broke the Drought

The numbers tell a story of relief as much as success. Made on a reported budget of ₹250 crore, Pathaan grossed an estimated ₹1,050.30 crore worldwide, becoming at the time the highest-grossing Hindi film ever and the first Hindi film to cross the ₹1,000 crore mark globally. It shattered opening records for a Hindi release, performed exceptionally in overseas markets, and held strongly for weeks at a time when many believed the theatrical audience for Hindi films had permanently shrunk.

Context matters here. The film arrived after a period of high-profile Hindi flops and loud boycott calls online, with almost no conventional promotional interviews from its star. Its success was driven by advance bookings, fan celebrations and simple word of mouth that this was a fun day out at the cinema. Along with the hits that followed it later in 2023, Pathaan is credited with restoring confidence across the exhibition sector. Whatever your view of its plotting, its place in box office history is secure.

Verdict: Should You Watch It?

Pathaan is a big, breezy, knowingly over-the-top spy entertainer that delivers exactly what its posters promise. It will not surprise you with its story, and its effects and logic wobble under scrutiny, but its star trio, its pace and its best action sequences make it an easy recommendation for genre fans and for anyone who missed the particular joy of a crowd cheering a hero’s entry. Watch it for Khan’s comeback energy, Abraham’s villain and Padukone’s command, and forgive it the physics.

It also remains the entry point new viewers should start with.

Our rating: 7/10 — A stylish, star-powered spy ride that overcomes a predictable plot with pace, scale and charisma.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pathaan part of a series? Do I need to watch other films first?
It is the fourth instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, after the two Tiger films and War. You can enjoy it on its own, but one major cameo lands harder if you know the Tiger films.

Is Pathaan based on a true story?
No. It is a fictional spy thriller, though it opens against the backdrop of real political developments that motivate the villain’s employers.

What languages is Pathaan available in?
The original language is Hindi. It was also released in dubbed Tamil and Telugu versions, and subtitled versions are widely available internationally.

How long is Pathaan and is it suitable for children?
It runs 146 minutes and was certified U/A in India. It features sustained action violence, so it is best suited to older children with parental guidance and above.

Where can I watch Pathaan?
Availability changes by country and over time. Check major streaming and rental services in your region for the current options.