Pathaan 2023

As the Indian government makes a pivotal decision to revoke Article 370, granting Jammu and Kashmir special status, it sets off a chain reaction that has far-reaching consequences. For Pakistani army general Qadir (Manish Wadhwa), who is struggling with a terminal illness and given only three years to live by his doctors, this news serves as the catalyst for his thirst for revenge against India. He forms an unholy alliance with Jim (John Abraham), the ruthless leader of Outfit X, a private terrorist organization.

Meanwhile, in a separate corner of the Indian intelligence community, former RAW agent Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) is working to revive a dormant unit dubbed Joint Operations and Covert Research (JOCR). This elite team, comprising a diverse range of skilled operatives including hacker Shweta Bajaj (Ekta Kaul), sniper Joseph Mathews (Diganta Hazarika), Amol, intelligence analyst Rishi Arya (Viraf Patel), and Raza (Shaji Choudhary), is designed to recruit former RAW agents who have been forced into premature retirement due to past trauma or injury. Pathaan himself has a personal stake in this venture, having suffered physical and emotional scars from his own operational experiences, including the metal plates and screws that now hold his body together.

As JOCR begins to take shape, Pathaan convinces Colonel Sunil Luthra (Ashutosh Rana), the RAW joint secretary, of the need for a covert unit. This leads to a high-stakes operation in Dubai, where Pathaan and his team are tasked with thwarting Outfit X’s plans to kidnap two scientists, Dr. Farooqui (Prem Jhangiani) and Dr. Sahani (Prakash Belawadi), and mislead the Indian agencies into providing enhanced security for a nonexistent attack on the President of India.

However, during the operation, Pathaan’s team discovers that their actual plan was to kidnap the scientists and exploit the sensitive information they possess. The Indian agencies’ increased security measures for the President prove woefully inadequate in preventing this dastardly act from unfolding. Pathaan and his team spring into action, determined to stop Jim and his Outfit X operatives from getting away with their nefarious plan.

In the ensuing battle, Rishi Arya sacrifices himself to protect his comrades, while Jim manages to escape with Dr. Sahani. Back at the agency, Luthra reveals a shocking truth: Jim was once a respected RAW agent and partner of Kabir Dhaliwal, who had been awarded the Vir Puraskar for his bravery after faking his own death in order to exact revenge against the agency and country that failed to save his family from the clutches of Somali terrorists. This revelation sheds new light on Jim’s motivations and sets the stage for a thrilling showdown between Pathaan and his team, and the rogue agent hell-bent on wreaking havoc on India.

As Pathaan delves deeper into the mysterious world of espionage, he uncovers a cryptic code-word dubbed “Raktbeej” and discovers that the deceased operatives in Dubai were once-ex agents whose fortunes had been transferred from the bank account of Rubina “Rubai” Mohsin (Deepika Padukone), a Pakistani doctor operating out of Spain. His investigation leads him to Spain, where he’s captured by Jim’s henchmen and learns that Rubai is a former ISI agent working for Jim. The latter attempts to recruit Pathaan into the elite Outfit X, promising lucrative payoffs and carefully curated assignments.

However, when Jim departs his hideout, Rubai launches a surprise attack on Jim’s men, freeing herself and capturing Pathaan in the process. As she lies wounded from a gunshot wound to her abdomen, Pathaan rushes to her aid, saving her life. In the aftermath of their escape, Rubai reveals that Raktbeej is housed in Moscow - a revelation that sends them hurtling towards Russia, intent on pilfering the coveted artifact before Jim can get his hands on it.

As they navigate the treacherous landscape of international espionage, Pathaan and Rubai find themselves entwined in a complicated web of trust and deception. They share tales of their troubled pasts and the serpentine paths that led them to their careers as spies, forging an unlikely bond along the way. Pathaan concocts a daring plan to infiltrate the world’s most secure vault, where Raktbeej is stored behind an impenetrable wall of security measures.

But just as it seems like they’re on the cusp of success, Rubai’s true loyalties are exposed, and she betrays Pathaan, allowing the Russian authorities to apprehend him. As he’s dragged away in chains, it becomes clear that Jim had been manipulating Rubai all along, using her to extract Raktbeej from Pathaan. The tables have turned, and Pathaan finds himself imprisoned on a train bound for a distant destination.

Three years later, Pathaan resurfaces in Africa, driven by a singular purpose: to track down the enigmatic Rubai. His first move is to capture Jim’s right-hand man, Raafe (Rajat Kaul), at an arms market, before abducting him and fleeing into the skies on a helicopter. This act of defiance sets off a chain reaction that ultimately leads Pathaan to Nandini, who reveals Jim’s sinister plan to acquire two saber missiles.

As he pieces together the puzzle, Pathaan uncovers Rubai’s whereabouts in Paris, where JCOR’s advanced facial recognition software has been tracking her every move through the city streets. The game is afoot, and Pathaan is ready to take on his nemesis once more, driven by a burning desire for retribution and a thirst for justice.

As Pathaan converges with Rubai (who had unwittingly fallen prey to JOCR’s surveillance), he discovers that the Raktbeej, a mutated smallpox virus, was forcibly engineered by Dr. Sahani under Jim’s sinister command. The revelation stings all the more as Rubai expresses remorse for her betrayal, unaware that her country had orchestrated such an egregious attack in tandem with Jim (who was being secretly funded by Gen Qadir). The virus, though devastating in its effects, has a brief window of efficacy, rendering global contagion unlikely; instead, it will ravage Indian cities via missile strikes.

Their perilous journey takes them to Jim’s lab in Siberia, where they face formidable obstacles to recover one orb containing the virus. As they manage to secure their prize, Jim escapes with the other orb, leaving them to ponder the implications of his actions. Luthra and Nandini then hasten to Jim’s lab, intent on reclaiming the orb and utilizing its contents at the Indian Institute of Contagious Diseases (IICD) to develop a vaccine. Meanwhile, Luthra has Rubai taken into custody, her loyalties deemed suspect.

Upon arriving at IICD in India, Dr. Farooqui presents Nandini with the recovered orb. However, their celebrations are short-lived as Jim makes contact, revealing that the orb has already released the virus within the facility. The infected scientists, including Nandini, succumb to the virus by taking their own lives, thereby containing its spread. Subsequently, the facility is deliberately destroyed through a controlled blast.

Jim issues an ultimatum: evacuate Indian soldiers from Kashmir within 24 hours or face the unleashing of the virus via missile against an Indian city. Pathaan grills Raafe about the location of the missile, only to discover it situated in Afghanistan. With Rubai by his side, he orchestrates a trap to ensnare Jim’s cohorts and launches a daring assault on Jim’s stronghold. In the ensuing chaos, Qadir falls prey to Rubai before activating the virus-laden missile.

As Pathaan relentlessly pursues Jim, they both crash-land into a cabin while clad in jet-packs, their fates momentarily intertwined.

As the tension builds, Rubai’s swift action disables the missile, only to discover that Raktbeej’s malevolent presence has transplanted itself onto a passenger aircraft bound for Delhi. With time ticking away, she alerts Pathaan to the shocking revelation, who in turn learns that Jim has possessed the detonator, capable of unleashing catastrophic destruction. Luthra springs into action, rapidly coordinating with air traffic control to prevent the plane from touching down in the bustling metropolis.

Meanwhile, a fierce and brutal battle ensues between Pathaan and Jim within the cabin. The two combatants engage in a merciless struggle that sends the very foundations of their surroundings crumbling - literally. As they clash, the cabin hurtles towards a cliff’s edge, leaving no room for error. Despite being severely wounded by Jim’s relentless assault, Pathaan seizes control, deactivates Raktbeej’s deadly force, and dispatches Jim to his apparent demise.

In a poignant aftermath, Pathaan strips Jim of his prestigious Vir Puraskar, deeming him unworthy of the honor. With icy calculation, he shatters the flimsy plank that had become Jim’s lifeline, sending him plummeting towards a fatal fall. The curtain closes on this high-stakes drama as Pathaan is reinstated within RAW and assumes the helm of JOCR.

The credits roll, but not before a mid-credits scene unfolds, showcasing Pathaan and Tiger in contemplative mode. Both seasoned operatives ponder their own mortality, musing about retirement and the possibility of passing the torch to younger, more agile agents. However, their introspection is short-lived as they ultimately decide that the threats facing the world are too great for anyone else to tackle. With a knowing glance, they resolve to continue battling the shadows themselves, ever vigilant in their unwavering commitment to justice.