Tiger Zinda Hai

 

Tiger Zinda Hai  is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and co-written with Neelesh Misra. A sequel to the 2012 film Ek Tha Tiger, it is the second installment in the Tiger franchise as well as the second installment in YRF’s Spy Universe. The film stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. In Tiger Zinda Hai, Tiger (Khan) and Zoya (Kaif) are forced to come out of hiding to save a group of hostages held by a militant terrorist organization in Iraq.

A sequel was conceived following the success of the Ek Tha Tiger, but faced a number of delays after the writer and director of the first film, Kabir Khan, refused to return for a sequel; Zafar was subsequently hired to write and direct, and the film's story draws inspiration from the 2014 abduction of Indian nurses by ISIL. By 2016, pre-production had begun on the film, and filming concluded by 2017, with filming locations including Abu Dhabi, Austria, Greece, and Morocco. Tiger Zinda Hai also features Sajjad Delafrooz, Angad Bedi, Kumud Mishra, Nawab Shah, Ivan Rodrigues, Girish Karnad and Paresh Rawal. With a budget of ₹210 crore (US$29 million), it is the one of the most expensive Hindi films and one of the most expensive Indian films ever made.

Upon release, Tiger Zinda Hai received generally positive reviews, with praise for its action and Khan's performance, while there was criticism for its length and dialogue. The film grossed over ₹565 crore (US$79 million), becoming the eighth highest-grossing Indian film. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, it won for Best Action.

A sequel to the film is in the works and is reported to be directed by Maneesh Sharma. Emraan Hashmi is said to be playing the baddie in the film.

 

Plot

During a dark night in Iraq, an American journalist types a warning message to CIA before he is slaughtered by some ISIS (ISC) guards. While carrying a rally in Ikrit, ISC leader Abu Usman is shot in the arm by the Iraqi Army and taken to the city hospital. Abu Usman holds hostage of the Indian and Pakistani nurses and makes the hospital as his base. The US military decides to launch an airstrike at the city to kill Usman. Indian nurse Maria calls the Indian Ambassador to Iraq at the Indian Embassy in Baghdad, informing about the incident.

8 years after the events of the previous film, Tiger and Zoya are revealed to have been leading a peaceful life, in a secluded place, away from the prying eyes of both the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Officially declared dead in the files of their respective agencies, Tiger and Zoya are now married and have a son, Junior.

The CIA give RAW chairman Shenoy seven days of time to rescue the nurses after which they will hold the airstrike. Shenoy feels that only Tiger would be able to rescue the nurses. Based on the clues available, Shenoy locates Tiger and Zoya in the snowy area of Innsbruck. Several days later, Tiger is briefed by Shenoy, who informs him about the abduction of the nurses. However, Shenoy only tells Tiger about the 25 Indian nurses held in Iraq. Though Tiger is reluctant at first, he sets to carry the mission after Zoya's insistence.

Tiger travels to Syria and assembles his own gang of RAW members consisting of Azaan, an expert sniper, Namit, an experienced bomb disposer and Rakesh, a hacker. They reach an oil refinery controlled by Al-Amir Baghdawi (Sal Yusuf), ISC's second-in-command, but face difficulty after the arrival of Firdauz aka 'Tohbaan' ('snake' in Arabic), who checks the workers. One day, Tiger rescues Hassan (Jineet Rath), a child who is sent by Usman as a human bomb. That night, Tiger and his gang set a controlled explosion in the refinery and pretend to get burned so that they are taken to the hospital.

En route, they are joined by ISI members Captain Abrar and Captain Javed. Zoya also comes along with Abrar and Javed and reveals to Tiger that along with 25 Indian nurses, 15 Pakistani nurses are held hostage. Tiger then declares that ISI and RAW will work together to rescue the nurses. Meanwhile, Firdauz reveals that he is a secret RAW agent. They go to the hospital while Zoya leaves Tiger to first kill Baghdavi and his troops which she does with the help of some Syrian girls.

At the hospital, Rakesh poisons the food. On the day of the airstrike, Usman's troops are food poisoned. Tiger fights the troops but finds Usman with Zoya which causes him to surrender. Tiger is tortured in a gas chamber but later escapes and rescues the nurses. Azaan dies during the fight. As they escape, Firdauz and Karan who is also a RAW member and Shenoy's most trusted person crashes an oil tanker which kills ISC members.

Tiger stabs and wounds Usman along with Sayem Noman in a fierce encounter and moves to rescue Zoya who insists Tiger to leave her for the sake of Junior. A missile, launched by American drones, blows the chamber. Tiger dresses everyone in the execution robes for a safe passage out of Ikrit. Javed raises Indian and Pakistani flags above the bus with the nurses keeping Azaan's promise while Firdauz takes Usman to a desert and shoots him.

One year later, Shenoy is called by Tiger from Greece. A flashback shows that Tiger broke the chain and rescued Zoya and escaped, knowing that RAW and ISI wouldn't leave them if they returned with the nurses. It's revealed that Tiger and Zoya have adopted Hassan. Though Tiger goes into hiding once again, he assures Shenoy that he will always be there for his country.

 

Cast

·         Salman Khan as Avinash Singh "Tiger" Rathore, a former RAW agent in hiding with his wife, Zoya.

·         Katrina Kaif as Zoya "Zee" Rathore, an ISI agent in hiding with her husband.

·         Sajjad Delafrooz as Abu Usman, the leader of the ISC, an Iraqi terrorist group.

·         Girish Karnad as Shenoy, the chief of RAW.

·         Paresh Rawal as Firdauz, an undercover RAW agent posing as an ISC sympathizer, Tohbaan.

·         Kumud Mishra as Rakesh Prajapati, a hacker for RAW.

·         Paresh Pahuja as Azaan Akbar, a sniper for RAW.

·         Angad Bedi as Namit Khanna, a RAW agent who is a bombs expert.

·         Sal Yusuf as Amir Baghdawi, a ISC member and Usman's second-in-command.

·         Gavie Chahal as Abrar, a section captain of the ISI.

Neha Hinge, Anupriya Goenka, and Kashmira Irani appear as nurses Maria, Poorna, Sana, respectively. Nawab Shah guest stars as Pawan, an undercover RAW agent and Tiger's handler in Iraq. Anant Vidhaat features as Karan Rao, a RAW agent, while Sartaaj Kakkar and Jineet Rath appear as Junior and Hasaan, Tiger and Zoya's children.