Bollywood royalty Shah Rukh Khan has unquestionably cemented his name in film history forever through his contribution to cinema over the years. Over the last three decades, he has meticulously built up an unshakable foundation as the King of Romance with blockbuster after blockbuster in the genre. Naturally, this has earned SRK an unwavering army of supporters across the globe making the news that he would be stepping away from romantic roles for good a difficult one to digest for many. Although there have always been glimpses of SRK’s versatility in acting, with standout performances in Don 2, Baazigar and Anjaam, he ultimately found a very permanent home in serenading audiences and on-screen lovers alike. However, making a definitive decision to embrace the action genre and never look back came ahead of his latest release Pathaan. A certified blockbuster, the movie made it clear that Khan is here to stay in his new avatar. His next upcoming film Jawan is set to take that to another level reaching even further into new territory for the actor, an essence that is perfectly captured in a new poster for the film.

The poster was shared by SRK on Instagram with two subsequent versions for each language Jawan will be released in, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. The image places a menacing-looking Jawan at the center of the action as he stands in the middle of a dark tunnel with a freshly fired gun in one hand and a second in the other – ready to strike again. In a look that is a distant cry from his typical persona, SRK bears a distinctly bald head with an abundance of facial hair. His look is complete with a plaid jacket and sunglasses – despite him being in the dark. The caption reads: “When I become a villain, no hero stands a chance against me.”

Who is Jawan?
The clearly unhinged demeanor of Jawan on the poster aligns with the little we know about the film thus far. Although a teaser was released just days ago, much of the plot remains under wraps with the snippet giving an insight into primarily the action and a small nod to the various faces of Jawan’s character. It’s evident he was previously a soldier and seen as an honorable man before he diverged from the path and evolved into someone else. His dilemma over the purpose of his life and his yo-yoing identity plays an undeniably significant role in shaping Jawan. His various personas include a mummy-like covering, a disturbing half-mask, and finally, a striking bald head. It can be inferred that these constantly changing looks play to the internal question over who he is as a person, good or bad, or as he describes it, “a blessing or a curse.” His mannerisms and countenance somewhat resemble Joaquin Phoenix’s iconic role as the Joker. This inspiration is captured in Jawan’s erraticness, such as his ominous dance in the middle of a train, unnerving laughter and chilling calmness when it comes to chaos and crime.

Image via Red Chillies Entertainment

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Directed by Indian filmmaker Atlee, the project leans into SRK’s remarkable ability to switch between different personalities effortlessly – pulling on the same disturbing threads as he did in his 1993 role as an obsessive stalker in Darr. Whilst not much else is known about Jawan, it’s undeniable that the film will give even the most die-hard of SRK fans something new to sink their teeth into.

Jawan lands in theaters on September 7. You can see the posters and first trailer below: