Jawan was one of the biggest Indian blockbusters of 2023. The seemingly risky action-thriller was a gamble for Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, one that paid off in spades! The unique vigilante storyline, mixed with some creative action and amazing performances made the film a standout of the year. So much so that the movie even inadvertently sets up an amazing spin-off series that may or may not include Khan himself. Read on to find out more.
Please note that the following will feature spoilers from Jawan, now streaming on Netflix.
Jawan Spin-Off Series Needs To Bring Back The Women
Image via Red Chilies Entertainment.
One of the most unique things about Jawan was its all-woman vigilante army that sought justice by any means necessary. The story about inmates of a women’s prison, many of them wrongly sentenced, sneaking out nightly to get justice for the corruption that led them to jail, is too interesting to pass up. And given the amount of stories that a potential Jawan spin-off series could feature, it’s definitely worth a look.
The Jawan spin-off series could feature an all-woman cast, with Narmada (Nayanthara) pulling double duty as the new leader of Azad’s (Shahrukh Khan) army, carrying on seeking justice for the wrongfully imprisoned prisoners. The series would be in the procedural format, with each episode focusing on one particular inmate, their story, and how the vigilantes get justice for them. Given how many women are in prison in the movie, there could be countless stories to tell.
The Procedural Format Allows For More Storytelling
Image via Red Chilies Entertainment.
Having an episodic series would allow deeper exploration of the supporting characters, and newer ones as well. While the movie does a great job with the stories of some of the women, such as Lakshmi (Priyamani), Eeram (Sanya Malhotra) and Kalki (Lehar Khan), I feel like there’s a lot more, given the sheer number of women prisoners in the jail. The format would allow audiences to live with each of the characters longer, having more emotional impact on the story.
While the initial episodes can have the women helping only those in jail, as their infamy rises, others outside the prison begin to seek help, upping the stakes even more as the women will have to spend more time away from the prison. This creates even more suspense as the more often they sneak out, the more chances of them getting caught, providing a different kind of tension in the story.
The Larger Season-Wide Story Of Jawan Spin-Off Series
Image via Red Chilies Entertainment.
While the Jawan spin-off series will be procedural, the larger story arc could focus on the other side, the authorities trying to track them down, not realizing who they are. There may be a grizzly veteran cop, maybe a Pankaj-Tripathi type who is assigned the case to track down these vigilantes. Exasperated with being the one who tracks them, the cop eventually begins to support and aid the vigilantes in their missions. Other characters could include a villain in the form of a high-ranking politician, whose very office is threatened by the vigilante’s good deeds. Forcing him to go to extreme lengths to hunt them down. The series can discuss issues like the need for government, the detriment of bureaucracy to the democratic process, corruption and other aspects that could potentially create multiple antagonists.
While the other larger morality tale could mirror the movie’s message as well. Have public interest rising as the women help people and make a true difference in their society. Making politicians nervous as their own efforts and politics seem futile in the face of vigilante justice. The issues could focus on problems within Indian society such as abuse, toxicity, corruption, gender disparity, activism, climate concerns and so much more.
Could Shahrukh Khan Be In The Jawan Spin-Off Series?
Image via Red Chilies Entertainment.
A potential Jawan spin-off series could even see a cameo from Shahrukh Khan, if not have the superstar do voiceover narration for each episode, tying it all in together. The procedural nature of the show would also feature major Bollywood stars doing cameos. Especially given it’ll be easier for stars to say yes, given it’s just a one-episode cameo and not a season-wide commitment.
Would you like to see a Jawan spin-off series? Let me know in the comments below or on X (Twitter) at @theshahshahid for more Bollywood conversations.
