'Tiger Zinda Hai' doesn't carry the racy drive which powered hugely the very entertaining, very refreshing 'Ek Tha Tiger', nor does it have any sort of nuances: if you gave yourself, just like me, to the amazingly written Malayalam film 'Take Off' about the same issue of rescue of Indian nurses from an Iraqi city, the plot point here for a Salman Khan-saviour would be especially disappointing. You know- this- this- barrel of jingoism and mellow emotional inconsistencies which Ali Abbas Zafar tries to spoon-feed you with. But it's still a respectable enough drama which has a coherent, layered script with sharper romance between Tiger and Zoya (played by Katrina Kaif). You can watch it. It's solid.

Today, one is so much familiar with the type of films that Salman Khan stars in and sometimes produces that there is nothing original anymore. Tiger Zinda Hai is no different as the actor returns to do what he often does in these action-packed potboilers that are popular for a complete lack of logic.



After having fled India with his Pakistani girlfriend in Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Tiger (Khan) now leaves in peace somewhere in Austria. Although he is away from his covert operations and is no more attached to India's Research & Analysis Wing (RAW), he keeps track of his former immediate senior like he is an unpaid freelancer. So, when a hostage situation concerning few Indian nurses arises in Syria, the government tracks down their best man for an operation considered suicide. It is obvious from the title itself that this is going to be a variation of convenient storytelling where everything happens with an advantage to the protagonists. And that’s exactly what happens in Ali Abbas Zafar's latest feature, right from the very point Tiger makes his entry. However, considering that that is the default template of the film, there is enough entertainment value for one to consume and rejoice.



The plot tries to educate its audience which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Bad thing because it makes the narrative look amateur, which the film suffers from at the beginning. The action sequences are very good, albeit without logic, as Tiger tries to balance his life and work in a war-torn Syria. There are cheesy dialogs to bring in the fun factor, supported by Paresh Rawal and Kumud Mishra, who both put up a refreshing show. There's definitely style in the film as you watch Tiger riding a horse and doing some other daredevil stuff to fight off the bad guys. Surprisingly, for a Salman Khan film, there are intelligent tidbits that elevate the film's intellectual factor. For instance, a young suicide bomber is shown carving his name incorrectly on a wooden table. It, among other brief sequences, shows what terrorism and war can do to people.



The biggest problem, however, is the lack of vindictiveness and weight in the antagonist. Played rather brilliantly by Sajjad Delafrooz, this head of a terrorist organization similar to the real ISIL is a meek personage who gives enough leeway to his enemies. You don't expect the head of an unforgiving terror outfit to give people a second chance. But it happens all the time in Tiger Zinda Hai, making the viewing experience a tad uncomfortable for the learned audience.



Tiger Zinda Hai is a film that has its flaws but is still a well-made action thriller that can give you goosebumps without pushing you into boredom. The patriotism factor should keep eager Indians occupied, as Khan fans dance their way out of the halls.

On the auspicious occasion of Xmas, I would like to wish each & everyone a peaceful & joyful festive season. Since there was hardly any movie that caught my eye in the past month, my blog was off the radar until this weekend. Being Xmas, a plethora of movies have released in all languages hoping to cash in on the extended weekend. The biggest release is undoubtedly from Khan, well it's not Aamir (who invariably releases during this time) but rather Salman with "Tiger Zinda Hai". It is the sequel to "Ek Tha Tiger" & Salman will be hoping that it will make amends for the abysmal "Tubelight". Hmm...will the box-office go gaga???

ISC was creating havoc in the Middle East under the leadership of Abu Usman (Sajjad Delfrooz) & all the nations were at a loss as to how to contain this terrorist organisation. ISC's latest act of terrorism was to take 25 nurses (mostly Indian & Pakistani) as hostages & convert the Iqrit hospital in Iraq into their terrorist base. With negotiation virtually impossible with Abu, the US army decides to launch a drone attack on the hospital which would effectively decimate every living being in the vicinity. However, they agreed to hold off the attack for a week as the Indian Government through their RAW Chief Shenoy (Girish Karnad) had requested time to rescue the nurses. Since a mission of this magnitude had to be handled by the best, Shenoy gets in touch with his former agent Tiger (Salman Khan) who had vanished from the scene eight years back. Though Shenoy convinces Tiger to come out of retirement, will the latter be as ruthless as before especially with a family now ???

Unlike the prequel, this is helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar who was last seen with "Sultan" which I personally consider as one of Salman's finest performance. It is inspired from the actual hostage situation that had unfolded in 2014, which had earlier led to the brilliant "Take Off". Being a Salman movie, you cant lament the fact that it belies logic after all "over the top" stuff is what he is known for. To be fair to Abbas, he has given what the audience expects with an all out action thriller. Though a shade too long, it remains true to being an action thriller with no unnecessary romantic scenes that impeded the pace in the prequel. The action sequences & Marcin's visuals were awesome while Vishal Shekhar's music was average.

Tiger was a role that was tailor made for Salman with loads of action & ripping muscles. He has done utmost justice to the role & was given excellent support by Katrina who carried out her action sequences brilliantly as well. Sajjad was an apt choice as the antagonist which he performed impressively. There was a host of supporting artists as well such as Paresh Rawal, Kumud Mishra, Girish Karnad etc, all of whom have done their parts aptly.

Verdict: Without a shadow of doubt, the audience will lap it up with glee making it yet another humongous blockbuster for Salman. It is a sure shot 250C at the box-office with the question being, how much will it eventually make. It's an ideal choice for a bindaas time pass & if you know what to expect from a Salman movie, you can rest assured that you will be thoroughly entertained. So check it out for some high voltage action!!!

Rating: 2.75/5

Regards...Ben