 of the ISI, the main embodiment of evil){kind=link}
Tiger 3 Runtime: 156 minutes
In the Spy Universe created by YRF, there was the ridiculous idea of an ISI agent helping India hunt down a rogue Indian agent. Eleven months later, another implausible plot is filmed – this time, a civil war in Pakistan is quelled by a RAW agent.
But Pathaan which got help from the ISI, was packaged with songs, romance, fun and all-round entertainment where the core story didn’t really matter.
YRF’s November outing falters by taking itself too seriously with zero entertainment. The romance between ageing agents Avinash urf Tiger (Salman Khan) and Zoya (Katrina Kaif) who now have a young son as well, has hardly any sizzle in it although the two actors continue to have a special chemistry as a couple.
So, when parents Zoya and Tiger are confronted with a situation that’s about the wellbeing of their son, the path they choose to take, has a kernel of credibility which lands the Indian agent in a Pak jail, the death sentence a shrill demand from some quarters.
A flashback establishes a bond between Zoya and Aatish Rehman (Emraan Hashmi) of the ISI, the main embodiment of evil.
In the finale is even a Pak PM praising the Indian agent publicly and stating that India is not their enemy, there’s an enemy within.
All in the quest of on aman (peace) that the Pak PM and India seek which forces like Aatish Rehman want to crush.
This is a franchise that pushes the aman ki asha thought in film after film. We’ve no fight with that but why doesn’t the heart flutter at the end of a job well done when our national anthem is played across the border and Zoya-Tiger can go home to bond over blueberry cheesecake? The reason is that a trio of writers, Anckur Chaudhry (dialogue), Aditya Chopra (story) and Shridhar Raghavan (screenplay) has come up with a film that relies solely onset action pieces, all of them high octane and some like the one with Pathaan and Tiger, superbly choreographed. Sure, there’s applause when Shah Rukh Khan with his signature tune of Jhoome jo Pathaan arrives in the nick of time to fight alongside Tiger. Just as Tiger’s entry brought a new dose of adrenaline to Pathaan in January.
But is a series of action sequences enough to engage the audience?
The sense of fun, a witty one-liner or two like James Bond movies have, a touch of glamour and since this is Hindi cinema, a few songs and dances, would’ve been welcome embellishments to carry it to ‘great entertainer’ status.The seriously rendered ‘Jab tak Tiger mara nahi tab tak Tiger haaranahi,’ does not convey cheekiness or wit unlike the easy ballsy lines by Abbas Tyrewala that had made Pathaan a lively watch.
The well-publicised ‘Leke Prabhu ka naam’(Pritam not at his best) comes with the end credits since there’s hardly any room for it in such a heavy film and the much-discussed towel scene comes and goes early in the film, without having the audience gape with awe at the cat fight.The appearance of Kabir from War, the third superhero of YRF’s Spy Universe, is also stuck in as an enticer.
But that’s batting for the next installment. How about salvaging the present one? Emotions don’t run high when it’s about saving the seat of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, a Rani Sahiba dressed like Sheikh Hasina.
It’s also a strain that Salman and Katrina are well past their prime and director Maneesh Sharma doesn’t bring in any youthful energy as a balance.
It is noted with appreciation that there’s a woman in charge in Pak and another in India (an ‘M’ like character played by Revathy). It’s also refreshing to have a new antagonist each time with Emraan Hashmi bringing his usual professionalism to baddie Rehman who eyes the PM’s post.
Tiger 3 – Watch Or Not?: Watch it only if you’re a Khan fan who’ll applaud one action sequence after the after which requires no emotional investment from the viewer. Oh, and please note, this is not a review that reflects box-office collections.
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