The sequel challenge: Can ‘Tiger Zinda Hai’ fare better than or be as good as ‘Ek Tha Tiger’?

Since sequels rarely live up to predecessors, one wonders if this instalment will end 2017 on a good note for Salu

Creating movie franchises seems to be the norm nowadays, which means that if a movie does well, it will invariably lead to a sequel. It was thus unsurprising to hear about Tiger Zinda Hai, the sequel to the 2012 film, Ek Tha Tiger.

Set to hit theatres in December 2017, the movie’s trailer was recently released and has been trending on Youtube since. Tiger Zinda Hai, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and produced by Aditya Chopra, stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, reprising their roles as Tiger and Zoya respectively.

The trailer begins in Iraq, showing us the inhuman regime under a terrorist organisation, while in the background a man narrates,

“Jab say dunya bani hai, tab say har konay main sirf ek hi jang hui hai; sahi aur ghalat ki, roshni aur andheray ki.”

(Since the creation of this world, only one war has been fought in every corner; between right and wrong, between light and darkness.)

The terrorist group, amidst committing other violent crimes, has also taken 25 nurses as hostage. Of course, the only hope of saving Iraq and freeing it from the terrorists is none other than Tiger himself.

Photo: Screenshot

Every Bollywood movie Khan has starred in as of late has had a catchy one-liner, and this film presents its own worthy candidate with,

“Shikaar to sub hi kartay hain, liken Tiger say behtar shikar koi nahin karta.”

(Everyone hunts, but no one hunts better than Tiger)

From what we are presented with, it seems as if the whole movie takes place in the harsh deserts of Iraq. Khan is seen performing some stunts as he fights the bad guys, but it was a pleasant surprise to see Zoya, the Pakistani spy played by Kaif, doing her own share of action scenes. It is no secret that Kaif is perhaps one of the fittest actresses in Bollywood, and seeing her performing such rigorous action sequences speaks volumes of her routine at the gym.

Photo: Giphy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The movie has everything – guns blazing action, music, and an emotional story of harmony that brings together an Indian spy and a Pakistani spy who work together against a common enemy. While it is obvious that the terrorists will not go down without a fight, but neither will Tiger and Zoya.

Photo: Giphy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where every action movie requires a powerful antagonist, the villain of this movie, Abu Usman (Sajjad Delafrooz), who is the leader of the terrorist organisation, does not look intimidating at all. On the contrary, he looks somewhat artificial or like a scholar. Perhaps this too is part of the plot and one needs to watch the film to know these ploys.

Photo: Screenshot

In comparison to the trailer of Ek Tha Tiger, which brought out the romance within the first 40 seconds, the trailer of Tiger Zinda Hai is over three minutes of pure action and then some.

Photo: Screenshot

Photo: Screenshot

Salu is one of Bollywood's most bankable actors, which is evident since his movies during the last six years have not only shattered records at the box office, but have also earned him quite a bit of a fortune. The following is a list of his recent movies and how they fared at the box office:

- Dabangg (2010): INR141 crores

- Ready (2011): INR120 crores

- Dabangg 2 (2012): INR154 crores

- Kick (2014): INR233 crores

- Sultan (2016): INR305 crores.

Tubelight (2017), his previous release, however, did not create much hype or gain a large fan following, which suggests that perhaps Khan needs this movie to become a major blockbuster to maintain his status as the 'bhai' of Bollywood.

One wonders if Tiger Zinda Hai will end 2017 on a good note for Khan, as it is expected to give his fans exactly what they love about his movies – the action. However, since sequels rarely live up to their predecessors, leaving most viewers dissatisfied, only time will tell if this move will be able to keep the franchise alive or not.

Let us hope Tiger Zinda Hai gives the audience an adrenaline rush, just as the trailer did. The movie is set to release on December 22, 2017.