“We are proud to present Tiger Zinda Hai to Innsbruck and its inhabitants. The premiere will take place at the Metropol cinema in Innsbruck on June 5,” informed Andreas Reiter, Marketing Manager of Innsbruck Tourism Board in an exclusive conversation with Faridoon Shahryar. The song ‘Dil Diya Gallan’ from Tiger Zinda Hai was entirely shot in Innsbruck in Austria and the dangerous action sequence involving the wolves and Salman Khan was also shot here.
A Tiger Zinda Hai Bollywood Tour has been introduced for the Tourists visiting this famous Tourist city in the Alps. This Tour is on the lines of the famous Sound of Music Tour that’s a special attraction in Salzburg (another important tourist attraction in Austria). “The aim of the tour is to visit all the locations where Tiger Zinda Hai was shot. Imperial Palace, Nordkette mountain, then we go to Parksmar where the Wolves scene was shot apart from the breakfast scene,” Andreas said. The house that you saw where Salman and Katrina are having their breakfast in ‘Dil Diya Gallan’ is now being called as Tiger House.
The festive season and the year-end is around the corner and it’s usually a time when a big, event film hits the theatres. This year it’s the turn of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer TIGER ZINDA HAI and it has a lot of factors going in its favour. Apart from being the sequel of the blockbuster EK THA TIGER [2012], the film boasts of an excellent star cast, slick, action-packed trailer and chartbuster music. So does the year end on a high with TIGER ZINDA HAI? Or does the film disappoint? Let’s analyse.
TIGER ZINDA HAI is the story of an Indian and Pakistani spy coming together for a greater cause. Tiger (Salman Khan) and Zoya (Katrina Kaif) escape from the clutches of ISI and RAW and then they start living an idyllic life somewhere in the snow-covered ranges of Europe. Meanwhile in Ikrit, Iraq, Abu Usman (Sajjad Delafrooz) emerges as the head of ISC which turns into the world’s richest and the most dangerous terrorist organization. The Americans are angry and they launch an attack on Abu and his convoy, and it injures Abu. At the same time, a group of 40 nurses – 25 Indian and 15 Pakistani – are heading to the hospital where they work. Abu’s men force the nurses to take an injured Abu with them for immediate treatment. They also take over the hospital and keep the nurses as hostage. The Americans then decide to launch an airstrike on the hospital within 7 days. Hence, the Indians have just a week to rescue the nurses. Infiltrating into the high security ISC region is next to impossible. The senior officer of RAW, Shenoy (Girish Karnad) suggests that Tiger should be called in as he’s the only one who can successfully complete this mission. Tiger is found and he takes up the job. How Tiger manages to infiltrate the ISC area and rescue the nurses forms the rest of the film.
TIGER ZINDA HAI begins on an engaging note with the sequence of James Forward (Tyler Gowardhan). It very well establishes the terror unleashed by Abu Usman. Tiger’s entry as expected is clapworthy and will be greeted with seetis and taalis. The entire wolf sequence is akin to international standards and it truly makes you feel that Hindi cinema has indeed come of age. An unexpected bit in the film is of the marital problems faced by Tiger and Zoya. Of course, the fun enhances once Tiger reaches Iraq and makes a plan to get to the hospital. The introduction of Firdaus (Paresh Rawal) adds to the fun. The market sequence before the intermission point is quite extended but also highly entertaining. The fun continues in the second half but the pace drops a bit here. Also, the film gets a bit unconvincing which could have been avoided. Tiger and his team didn’t seem that injured that they had to be rushed to the hospital – they could have been easily treated in the refinery itself. Perhaps the makers should have shown them extremely wounded maybe. Moreover, the manner in which Zoya and Firdous convince the Americans to side with them and also Zoya commanding the Americans is difficult to digest. The narrative gets scattered in the middle, however the film picks pace in the last 30 minutes. But thankfully, the positive outweigh the negatives easily. The climax is again quite lengthy but it’s brilliantly done and gives audiences their money’s worth.
Neelesh Misra and Ali Abbas Zafar’s story is a great blend of emotions, action, romance, humour and also patriotism. At the same time, it serves as a nice, organic sequel to EK THA TIGER and that’s definitely praiseworthy. Ali Abbas Zafar’s screenplay is highly engaging. Ali Abbas Zafar’s dialogues are simple but highly effective. The English dialogues are used at a lot of places but again, these are simple ones and the scenes are scripted and directed in such a way that even if one doesn’t understand English well or reads the subtitles, one can still comprehend what’s going on. Ali Abbas Zafar’s direction has a mass appeal and at the same time, he ensures that the film looks like a class product. He establishes the world and characters in no time and gets going with the story instantly. The romantic bit between Tiger and Zoya is also well depicted. One of the most interesting aspects is the entire India-Pakistan angle and it’s sure to leave audiences smiling and even in tears at some places. A very brilliant message of peace is given in this flick and that’s sure to be appreciated!
Talking of performances, Salman Khan delivers a terrific performance yet again. Salman is the lifeline, the real treasure of Tiger Zinda Hai. He sinks his teeth into the character and, in several sequences, peels off the mask of superstardom and brings the actor to the fore. At many places, he underplays his part which goes very well with his spy act. Also, his interaction with his family is a delight to watch. Salman disappointed audiences in TUBELIGHT but in TIGER ZINDA HAI, he compensates for it very well and audiences are sure to enjoy his performance. Katrina Kaif thankfully is not an arm candy. She has a very crucial part and even she gets to be a part of clapworthy action scenes! She looks like a million bucks in the song ‘Dil Diyan Gallan’ and also seems quite cool in the action avatar. Sajjad Delafrooz pitches in a remarkable performance and plays his villainous part very well. The film would not have been half as successful if he had given a shaky performance. His face, body language and poise give a clear message that he means business. Watch his confrontations with Salman – the good versus evil clash is truly brilliant. Paresh Rawal is terrific and he’s sure to be remembered for a long time for his performance. He also contributes to the laughter quotient. Angad Bedi (Navin) is fine and shows his worth in the climax scene. Kumud Mishra (Rakesh) essays an interesting character with élan. Paresh Pahuja (Azaan Akbar) leaves a mark despite lesser screen time. Child actors Jineet Rath (Hassan) and Sartaaj Kakkar (Junior) have important parts to play and do very well. Girish Karnad is as usual while Anant Vidhaat (Karan), who did a good job in SULTAN, gives a credible performance. Anupriya Goenkar (Poorna) gets the most scope among the nurses and she shines. The rest of the characters do a fine job.
Tiger Zinda Hai has several strengths: An engaging storyline as well as an enthralling screenplay that’s powered with clap-trap dialogue.
Vishal-Shekhar’s music is melodious and well woven into the script. ‘Dil Diyan Gallan’ is very sweet and endearing. ‘Tera Noor’ is the best picturized song of the film and it’s great that such a song is used in such a contrasting situation. ‘Swag Se Swagat’ is a chartbuster and played in the end credits. ‘Zinda Hai’ and ‘Daata Tu’ are missing from the film but no complaints! Julius Packiam’s background score is dramatic and exhilarating and raises the tempo of the film.
Marcin Laskawiec’s cinematography is captivating and gives the film an international feel. Rameshwar S Bhagat’s editing is simple and at places, slick. Tom Struthers’s action is not too gory and would be loved by the masses. Rajnish Hedao’s production design is very authentic. Same goes for YFX’s VFX (Yash Raj Films‘ VFX department) – it will serve as a benchmark for Indian films from now on! Alvira Khan Agnihotri, Ashley Rebello and Leepakshi Ellawadi’s costumes are also quite real and very well researched.
On the whole, TIGER ZINDA HAI is a high-octane masala entertainer that stays true to its genre and delivers what it promises: King-sized entertainment. At the box office, the audiences will give the film an epic ‘swagat’ as it is bound to entertain them thoroughly. This one is a SURE SHOT BLOCKBUSTER and nothing can stop it from setting new records. Get ready for the Tsunami at the Box Office.
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has always taken physical and mental fitness very seriously. The former professional shooter turned politician has given some of the known celebrities a special task. He took to this Twitter to urge the Indian citizens to follow a better and healthy lifestyle. After urging the citizens to participate, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore challenged Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli, shuttler Saina Nehwal, and Hrithik Roshan to join the #FitnessChallenge to inspire others. After Hrithik, many celebrities have started a chain of tags and have urged others to continue the challenge. Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma and Tiger Shroff have joined the bandwagon.
Deepika Padukone took to her Instagram to take the challenge and revealed that she is passionate about fitness and loves running. She has challenged all of her friends from sports fraternity. She captioned the video, “I am extremely passionate about fitness…and my new obsession…running! Thank You @pvsindhu1 ! I challenge @mithaliraj @ranirampal4 @aditigolf #HumFitTohIndiaFit.”
Anushka Sharma was challenged by her hubby Virat Kohli and she sportingly took on the challenge. She has now challenged her friends Dipika Pallikal and Sui Dhaaga co-star Varun Dhawan. Sharing a video from her gym, she was seen lifting weights. She captioned the video. “I accept your challenge @imVKohli. Here’s my video for the #HumFitTohIndiaFit #FitnessChallenge. I’d like to nominate my friends, @DipikaPallikal and @Varun_dvn Great initiative @Ra_THORe sir! #ComeOutAndPlay.”
Tiger Shroff is the third one to take up the challenge. He showed off his insane gymnastic skills as he did the flip with such an ease. He has challenged Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor and Karan Johar. Tiger wrote, “Tareeke anek par maksad sirf ek #HumFitTohIndiaFit – great initiative by @Ra_THORe sir ???? thank you @iHrithik sir, i’d like to nominate @sonamakapoor, @karanjohar and @FarOutAkhtar to take the #FitnessChallenge forward.”
On the work front, Deepika Padukone is currently going through scripts before she locks in her next project. Anushka Sharma, on the other hand, will be seen in two films this year- Sui Dhaaga: Made in India and Zero. Tiger Shroff is currently shooting for Student of the Year 2 which will release in November, this year.
I’ve known Tiger Shroff, Jackie and Ayesha Shroff’s cub, from the time when he was a child. Tiger was always a well-behaved boy, gentle courteous, disciplined and militarily regimented in eating and exercising.
Tiger was always the opposite of his star-papa Jackie. If Jackie never took care of himself, Tiger never stops taking care of himself. Jackie would wake up at 10 am and laze around the house when he wasn’t working. Tiger was up at the crack of dawn doing his martial arts routine for a good two hours even when he was not an actor yet. While Jackie ate any and everything, Tiger tucked into only health food.
Fit as a fiddle Tiger’s debut in Heropanti was greeted by hoots and jeers. He was savaged for being effeminate and too soft. Not once did I see Tiger get upset as the nation took pot-shots at everything about him from his name to his looks.
“How was I to be blamed for the way I looked? Or if I didn’t have facial growth even if I shaved twice a day? I never took the criticism to heart because I knew it was for my own good. Those who take the trouble to offer constructive criticism must be taken seriously, provided you want to grow,” Tiger informed me, with a wisdom way beyond his ears.
Today in Baaghi 2 Tiger’s appearance, body language and emotive faculties are beyond anything one would have imagined for Tiger. Just like Rekha and Akshay Kumar, Tiger’s makeover is inspirational, though I’ve to admit his change is far more swift and radical. Akshay and Rekha changed over a period of time and roles.
Tiger is transformed over a span of 4 films. How did he do it? Tiger says it’s will-power. I think it’s more than that. It’s the will to overpower though never disown the legacy that star-kids have to carry on their shoulders. Varun Dhawan was just not happy being known only as David Dhawan’s son. He worked towards establishing a name for himself whereby his father is no longer the deciding factor in his career as an actor.
Tiger is proud to be known as Jackie Shroff’s son. But there is always that dread of being compared unfavourably. Tiger has successfully vanquished that fear in his new film where he is transformed into a killing machine. After Baaghi 2 Tiger won’t be compared with his father. He will be compared with Hrithik Roshan, and very favourably too.
I suspect with Baaghi 2 Tiger will considerably erode Hrithik’s market. The dancing is on a par with Roshan. And the stunts much more complex and heart stopping than anything Roshan has ever attempted. In fact Tiger’s action sequences in Baaghi 2 are so overpoweringly daring audiences will presume they achieved through a body double, if not computer graphics.
Our cinema has a long history of heroes risking their lives for a breath-taking stunt. Whatever you’ve seen other action heroes do in the movies pales into significance when compared with Tiger’s derringdo in Baaghi 2.
So is Tiger Shroff India’s finest action hero? I am afraid he is. He may not be among the finest actors in the country. But Tiger lets action speak louder than words. The sound of bones being crunched is deafening.
