Item: Tiger 3
Rating: 3.5
Author: Himesh Mankad

Over the years, Spy Films have rocked at the box office and the stint of this genre tasting success in the modern times started with Ek Tha Tiger in 2012. A decade after the success of ETT, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif have reunited on Tiger 3. As you step into the malls, you can sense excitement in the air around the film as the 6 am show in Mumbai was a full house. Does the film live up to the expectations? Let’s find out!

Plot of Tiger 3:

It has been 12 years since Tiger (Salman Khan) and Zoya (Katrina Kaif) are on an exile from their respective intelligence agencies, and little did they know that their past could return, taking the face of an evil named Aatish (Emraan Hashmi). 12 years after parting ways, Aatish is back with vengeance to bring a disruption in the lives of Tiger and Zoya, which in turn impacts the entire socio-political dynamics between India and Pakistan. He stands in between the demand of peace between the two rival nations. How do Tiger and Zoya combat the scenario? Do they manage to settle the previous score? What is it that Aatish aspires to do? All of this and lot more unfolds in Tiger 3.

What works for Tiger 3?

The biggest USP of Tiger 3 is the story by Aditya Chopra developed into a screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan. The film takes no time to introduce the evil forces of the film and invest us into the world of Tiger and Zoya created by Maneesh Sharma. Tiger 3 goes against the template of spy films established by YRF in the last few years, as this one is driven by a coherent story that brings it all together and even closes a lot of loops.

The narrative is packed with surprises, be it the introduction of characters from other spy films of the universe, as also bringing back the actors who were a part of Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai. The action sequences are taken to the next level, as it's unlike what we have seen in Hindi Cinema before. The team excels in merging the reality of action with the larger-than-life approach, and it’s Salman Khan who makes it look all believable. Watch out for the Tiger Introductory sequence – it’s going to be the talk of the town. There’s something magical in Salman Khan’s screen presence.

And if that’s not enough, Katrina Kaif yet again proves why she is the best when it comes to performing stunts on the big screen. The Tiger and Pathaan crossover sequence is worth all the hype and the creator of the universe, Aditya Chopra deserves all the credit for celebrating two of the biggest icons of Indian Cinema in this manner. The Shah Rukh Khan x Salman sequence has a flavour that’s different from what they did in Pathaan.

Some of the best moments of Tiger 3 include – the introductory sequence of Tiger, Aatish’s back story, the pre-interval chase sequence, Tiger x Pathaan cross over, the emotional under-tones in the pre-climax at Pakistan Parliament, and the action-packed finale followed by National Anthem.

It’s commendable on part of Aditya Chopra and Maneesh Sharma to maintain the flavour of Tiger Franchise and keep it different from the world of War and Pathaan. Full marks to YRF for mounting Tiger 3 at this scale, as its probably the most polished product of the YRF Spy Universe.

What doesn’t work for Tiger 3?

At 2 hours 36 minutes, you do feel the length of Tiger 3. The story takes some time to set itself up in the first half, and there is too much in the screenplay for the audience to absorb. The narrative warrants complete attention, with a lot of technicalities which could be a bit on an issue for the mass audience. The core conflict isn’t as universal as Tiger Zinda Hai, as the mission this time has lot of socio-political undertones. In-fact, one needs a suspension of disbelief to take in multiple episodes around the core fight between India and Pakistan in the second half. While the story has a new flavour by raising the stakes of this battle, there are certain episodes which lack the novelty factor.

The film lacks behind in terms of mass elevation that we have seen with Tiger, Kabir and Pathaan in the earlier spy universe film, and that’s got more to do with the fact that narrative is driven by story and not high points. The film warranted bigger whistle worthy moments. Both Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai had chartbuster music score, and Pritam is not able to match the legacy of earlier two films. The dialogues are good, however, the film warranted bigger punch lines. Some of the one-liners fit Salman’s personality like a hand in glove. The background score could have been better and the editing could have been a little crisper.

Performances in Tiger 3

Tiger 3 belongs to one man and that’s Salman Khan. It’s so good to see him in prime form as he mouths all those dialogues with utmost conviction bringing in an irresistible swag in his body language. Salman Khan is meant to play Tiger and he proves it for the third time. While he shines in the action sequences, what stands-out in Tiger 3 are the emotional and dramatic moments featuring Salman. Maneesh does well to explore the actor in Salman, and it’s a perfect amalgamation between his larger-than-life aura and the acting talent. Katrina Kaif as Zoya is phenomenal, as she lives through the character. The entire crux of Tiger 3 revolves around Zoya and it's difficult to imagine anyone but Kat in this part. Watch out for the towel action sequence and her fight scene in second half – it’s sure to bring the house down with claps and cheers.

Emraan Hashmi as Aatish makes for a strong opposition to the force of Tiger and Zoya. It’s after a while that one gets to see grey shades of Emraan and he proves to be a worthy antagonist in the film. His backstory is strong with some unexpected twists and turns. Shah Rukh Khan makes a dashing appearance as Pathaan and picks up the character right from where he left it in Pathaan. SRK brings the house down with his aura and screen presence. His dialogue delivery is top notch like always as he mouths those one-liners with ease and is at his charming best as Pathaan. Ranveer Shorey makes an appearance as Gopi from Ek Tha Tiger, whereas Kumud Mishra and co return as the Tiger Zinda Hai gang. All the characters serve as a good easter egg for the franchise lovers.

And what do we say about the END CREDIT SCENE? Just watch it to believe it as Hrithik Roshan makes a special appearance setting things up for the future. We won’t get into the details, but don’t miss the approach of Hrithik to the character of Kabir – It’s as stylish as it gets, but yet promises so much substance on the performance front.

Verdict of Tiger 3:

Overall, Tiger 3 rides hugely mounted action sequences backed with power performances by Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. While pacing is an issue at some places, the core plot has enough of an emotional connect to keep you glued on the big screen. It’s great to see Salman Khan doing films of scale that justifies his stardom deserves. Overall, Tiger 3 is an action-packed entertainer that has all the ingredients to emerge Salman Khan’s biggest grosser till date. Watch it.