Avinash Singh Rathore, the original spy who inspired the expansion of YRF’s spy universe is all set to make his comeback to the silver-screen with the third installment of the Tiger series. Following the explosive success of Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai, YRF has reportedly invested a hefty 200-250 crores, making Tiger 3, the biggest and most expensive Yash Raj Film made till date. Here’s everything you need to know about Salman Khan’s next blockbuster.
What happened in Ek Tha Tiger?
YRF’s first foray into the spy-action genre, Ek Tha Tiger tells the story of Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger, a top Indian RAW agent growing increasingly tired of living a life of violence. Picking up on his burnout, Tiger’s boss assigns him to a stealth mission to retrieve information about nuclear weapons from an Indian professor teaching at the Trinity College in Dublin. Tiger undertakes the alias of Manish Chandra, a non-fiction novelist keen on writing a book on Indian academics, and jets off to Dublin where he begins shadowing the professor under the pretext of research.
Keen on gaining access to the professor's house, Tiger befriends the professor's caretaker, a British-Indian dance student named Zoya. As the mission progresses, so does Tiger and Zoya’s bond. The pair quickly fall in love with each other, and it is then that Tiger learns of Zoya’s true identity. She’s a vampire.
Okay, she’s not really a vampire! She’s just a Pakistani ISI agent sent on the same mission as Tiger to retrieve information from the professor. But at this point in their love story, both of them would take the odds of dating a vampire over getting into a relationship with a secret agent from a rival country sent to retrieve access to the same nuclear codes as you. Choosing the love for their country over their love for each other, Zoya and Tiger both engage into a deadly combat which ends with Tiger letting go of Zoya, and retreating away from active duty.
Tiger, now assigned to desk duty, is passing his time filing mundane case-reports when he receives a secret message from Zoya asking him to meet her in Istanbul. The pair reunite and elope, but their plans for a happily ever after are put on hold when their respective agencies catch wind of their marriage. The newly wed couple retreat to Havana in hope for a swift escape but on arrival are greeted by Cuban police that take Zoya captive. Tiger entrusts his handler, Gopi, to arrange a deal for Zoya to receive diplomatic immunity in exchange for sharing sensitive information with RAW. Gopi arranges the setup, and the pair uses this opportunity to escape and embark on an inter-country honeymoon leaving their spy life behind.
What happened in Tiger Zinda Hai?
Zoya and Tiger are enjoying their blissful married life as normal civilians along with their young son Junior, when they receive an urgent message from RAW seeking Tiger’s help for a rescue mission. RAW uses their resources to hunt down their location after receiving news about ISC, a terrorist organization holding Indian and Pakistani nurses hostage in a locaI Iraqi hospital.
Reluctant to return to active duty, Tiger initially denies RAW’s request to accept the mission. However, he comes onboard after Zoya persuades him to accept the call to save innocent nurses. Tiger curates a special team and sets out to Iraq to save the nurses. A mission that almost costs him his life.
Caught in a tight combat with the ISC, Tiger narrowly escapes a bullet all thanks to his wife Zoya, who shows up in time to join his mission and help him take the terrorists down. The duo decide that ISI and RAW should team up for the sake of this mission, and together, head towards the hospital to rescue the nurses.
Zoya goes undercover as a slave to gain closer control to the terrorist groups second in command, however her identity is revealed after she brutally murders him and she’s taken captive and used as bait to get Tiger to give up the mission. Unwilling to let Zoya in harms way, Tiger surrenders and the terrorists take him in and torture the pair.
Seeing a narrow opening, Tiger attacks the terrorists and helps Zoya escape. The pair call in for backup and release the nurses, ensuring everyone is safe before the hospital is blown up by the CSI. Knowing that their mission is complete, Tiger and Zoya swiftly retreat to Greece with their entire family to resume their lives as regular citizens. (That is until duty calls again)
What do we know about Tiger 3?
The fifth film in the YRF spy universe, Tiger 3 is set to be the biggest and most ambitious spy project undertaken by the production house till date. The upcoming film reportedly features a budget of 200-250 crores, and has been shot across several locations with action sequences spread across Turkey, Russia, Austria, and India. Similar to the original film, Tiger 3 is based on a story by Aditya Chopra. The film is written by Sridhar Raghavar and directed by Ladies vs Ricky Bahl director, Maneesh Sharma.
Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif reprise their roles as Tiger and Zoya for the upcoming spy-adventure. They’re joined by Ranvir Shorey as Tiger’s trusted handler, Gopi. The film will also feature an exciting cameo from Shah Rukh Khan as Pathaan, and possibly hint at the upcoming double-spy feature Tiger vs Pathaan. In addition to this, the new film also welcomes Emraan Hashmi as the main antagonist.
When will Tiger 3 release?
Tiger 3 is set to release globally this Diwali on November 12, 2023. The movie will be released in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. Initially set to be released during Eid 2023, the movie was pushed due to post-production delays. The film’s November release will mark the second spy feature for YRF this year. This movie marks the second theatrical spy release for YRF this year, the first being Shah Rukh Khan’s box office shattering blockbuster Pathaan which grossed over 1050 crores worldwide.
As we inch closer to the release, we’re excited to see more updates teasing the high-intensity action sequences, jaw-dropping locations, and heart melting interactions between Zoya and Tiger from Tiger 3.