Movie Review: Tiger 3
Cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Emraan Hashmi and Riddhi Dogra
Director: Maneesh Sharma
Rating: 7/10
TIGER 3, Salman Khan's action drama, has finally been released in cinemas.
The Maneesh Sharma directorial, which also features Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi in central roles, chronicles the events of Pathaan, War and Tiger Zinda Hai. It is the fifth entry in the spy universe created by Yash Raj Films and a follow-up to Tiger Zinda Hai.
This time, the story is more about brains than brawn. The film begins with a scene in London that swiftly gives the audience a running insight into the narrative that transports one to several cities around the globe.
Khan, in the character of Tiger (Avinash Singh Rathore), does a great job with the familiar action plot.
There is something magically captivating about Khan’s presence in this screenplay by Shridhar Raghavan. He gives us depth in some emotional and conflicting moments. That being said, the script does not go very far beyond the standard RAW agent role.
Kaif, in her Agent Zoya avatar, shows us why she is the best fit to perform some high intensity combat scenes. Look out for the towel fight scene that she manages expertly.
Khan and Kaif have a sense of ease in their performance together and fans of the series have been particularly invested in their dynamic relationship. Hashmi as antagonist Aatish Rehman shows off great acting ability. Because of the mission's numerous socio-political overtones, the primary plot point is not as universal as it was in the previous instalment in this world of Tiger and Zoya.
Although increasing the stakes of the fight gives the story a fresh flavour, some of the portions don't feel especially inventive.
Directing a movie with a superstar like Khan is an elephantine task, more so after the not-so-loved performances with his previous releases. After being at the helm of successes like Band Baaja Baraat and Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan, Sharma handles his first large scale action movie like a charm.
Sharma is not required to do much of the heavy lifting, but rather to serve the admirers for this franchise and the loved world Khan and Kaif have been a part of since 2012 with Ek Tha Tiger.
The biggest open secret is Shah Rukh Khan's Pathaan special appearance that lasts for 15 to 20 minutes. It's entertaining to watch these two superstars share the screen. Cinema lovers will love the reference to older Bollywood movies.
The film moves at a good pace, after a restless first half. The sweeping visuals lend to the overall aesthetic of the movie with some great camera work. The background score also works.
Tiger will remain one of Khan’s memorable characters. Be sure to stick around post credits for a sneaky surprise.
Keshav Dass is a radio presenter on Hindvani for the Chart Show (Sunday 12pm-3pm) and the Saturday Shake Up (Saturday 11pm-2pm).