Eight months after he staged the comeback of the year and smashed box office records with Pathaan, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will be hoping to repeat the success with Jawan.
This time he has Nayanthara for company in the highly anticipated film. Popularly referred to as the "lady superstar" of South Indian cinema, she is known for her work in Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. Jawan marks her Bollywood and Hindi-language debut.
The action thriller is also the first Bollywood film for director Atlee, the acclaimed filmmaker behind record-breaking Tamil blockbusters Mersal (2017) and Bigil (2019). It's also South Indian music star Anirudh's first fully-fledged Hindi film project as a composer.
Produced by Khan's wife, Gauri Khan, under their Red Chillies Entertainment banner, the film was made for a reported 3 billion rupees ($36 million).
What is Jawan about?
Fans of Khan will be able to enjoy not one, but two characters of his – he has a dual role in Jawan. As Vikram Rathod, he plays a Robinhood-style former soldier who hijacks the Mumbai Metro and presents the government with a set of demands so he can catch notorious arms dealer Kalee (Vijay Sethupathi).
Kalee, meanwhile, is on a mission to obliterate Azad Rathod, also played by Khan, who is an honest police officer and the estranged son of Vikram.
Nayanthara plays an officer tasked with stopping Vikram, who's joined by a squad of six women.
Aspiring pop star Aaliyah Qureishi, who makes her Bollywood debut as a member of Vikram's squad, recently told The National that fans can look forward to “Atlee's visionary flair with all of Shah Rukh Khan's charisma and style.”
“You can look forward to a really fun and exciting film, which also has a really good message at its heart. You can also look forward to seeing us girls beat up some very big guys," she said.
Who else is in the cast?
Besides Khan and Nayanthara in lead roles, Jawan features the aforementioned South Indian actor Sethupathi as Kalee.
Other cast members include South India's Priya Mani Raj and Yogi Babu as well as Sanya Malhotra, Riddhi Dogra, Sanjeeta Bhattacharya, Girija Oak, Lehar Khan and Sunil Grover.
Khan's Pathaan co-star Deepika Padukone has a cameo in the film while South Indian superstar Vijay – who has starred in three of Atlee's biggest films – and Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt are also rumoured to make guest appearances.
How many songs have been released?
Three songs from Jawan have been released so far. The first one, Zinda Banda, released on July 31, has more than 64 million views on YouTube. Chaleya, the second song featuring Khan and Nayanthara, released on August 14, has more than 57 million views. The third single, Not Ramaiya Vastavaiya, was released on August 29 and has more than 33 million views.
Last Thursday, an Arabic version of Chaleya was released featuring Moroccan music couple Grini and Jamila El Badaoui.
Composer Anirudh, who announced himself with his viral hit Why this Kolaveri Di in 2011, shared his excitement about his Bollywood debut with Khan.
"Dreams do come true and how! We make our debut with none other than the King," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, tagging Khan.
Indian record label T-Series bought the music rights of Jawan for a reported 320 million rupees ($3.8 million), a record price for a Hindi album.
Khan brings Jawan to Dubai
Last week, the Dubai Fountain was a sea of red as thousands flocked to see Khan launch the trailer of Jawan, which was projected onto Burj Khalifa.
Khan, wearing a sparkling red jacket, arrived through a side entrance at The Dubai Mall and was escorted to a makeshift stage on the lagoon.
He addressed the crowd saying the film has all the elements expected from a Bollywood blockbuster.
“The film is two hours and 45 minutes, and it is full of amazing action, comedy, romance and humour,” he said. “The film also talks about the people who are less fortunate than you and I and how we must give them justice. I hope you will enjoy the film because I believe it can be enjoyed by anyone."
Jawan is being released globally in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada in addition to Hindi on September 7
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
Copa del Rey
Semi-final, first leg
Barcelona 1 (Malcom 57')
Real Madrid (Vazquez 6')
Second leg, February 27
Step by step
2070km to run
38 days
273,600 calories consumed
28kg of fruit
40kg of vegetables
45 pairs of running shoes
1 yoga matt
1 oxygen chamber
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE
1: Quinoa
2. Bathua
3. Amaranth
4. Pearl and finger millet
5. Sorghum
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score)
Porto (0) v Liverpool (2), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
Match info
Liverpool 3
Hoedt (10' og), Matip (21'), Salah (45 3')
Southampton 0
Who are the Soroptimists?
The first Soroptimists club was founded in Oakland, California in 1921. The name comes from the Latin word soror which means sister, combined with optima, meaning the best.
The organisation said its name is best interpreted as ‘the best for women’.
Since then the group has grown exponentially around the world and is officially affiliated with the United Nations. The organisation also counts Queen Mathilde of Belgium among its ranks.
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
Company%20profile
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Kanye%20West
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World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
The biog
Hobbies: Salsa dancing “It's in my blood” and listening to music in different languages
Favourite place to travel to: “Thailand, as it's gorgeous, food is delicious, their massages are to die for!”
Favourite food: “I'm a vegetarian, so I can't get enough of salad.”
Favourite film: “I love watching documentaries, and am fascinated by nature, animals, human anatomy. I love watching to learn!”
Best spot in the UAE: “I fell in love with Fujairah and anywhere outside the big cities, where I can get some peace and get a break from the busy lifestyle”
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