Ek Tha Tiger

''Ek Tha Tiger'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language espionage action thriller film directed by Kabir Khan and co-written by Khan and Neelesh Misra, from a story by and produced by Aditya Chopra. It is the first installment in the ''Tiger'' franchise and the first film in the YRF Spy Universe. It stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Roshan Seth, Girish Karnad, and Gavie Chahal. In the film, Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore (Khan), an Indian spy, is tasked with recovering information before it is gained by Pakistan, but is sidetracked after falling in love with Zoya Humaimi (Kaif).

''Ek Tha Tiger'' is the third collaboration between Kabir Khan and Yash Raj Films, after he directed ''Kabul Express'' (2006) and ''New York'' (2009). It entered a complicated production process, with delays, rewrites, and several cast members attached at various points. Principal photography began in August 2011 and lasted until July 2012, with filming locations including Dublin, Havana, Bangkok, Istanbul, and Delhi. The film's music was composed primarily by Sohail Sen, with the soundtrack's lead single and theme song, "Mashallah", composed by Sajid-Wajid. Originally set for release in June 2012, the film was theatrically released worldwide by Yash Raj on 15 August 2012.

The film received generally mixed to positive reviews, with praise for its action sequences, music, and performances of its leads, while there was some criticism for its tone, which was labelled inconsistent. ''Ek Tha Tiger'' set numerous box-office records in its theatrical run, grossing worldwide. It was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2012, is the 36th highest-grossing Indian film of all time, unadjusted for inflation, and set the then-record for the highest-grossing domestic opening weekend, with . The film won Best Special Effects at the 14th IIFA Awards and won five People's Choice Awards, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress for Khan and Kaif.

A sequel, '' Tiger Zinda Hai'', was released on 22 December 2017. A third film, ''Tiger 3'', was announced in June 2018.

Plot

Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore, a RAW officer, is forced to kill Rabinder, one of his men, for defecting to Pakistan's spy agency ISI while in Iraq. Disappointed his missions always feature violence, Tiger is next deployed by his boss, Shenoy, on a mission in Dublin to observe Anwar Kidwai. Kidwai is a science professor of Indian origin who teaches at Trinity College and is suspected of undertaking novel nuclear weapons research, which RAW wish to gain before Pakistan. Tiger's handler, Gopi, accompanies him on this mission.

Tiger poses as Manish Chandra, a non-fiction author writing a book on Kidwai and other Indian academics. To gain access to his house, Tiger befriends Kidwai's caretaker, a British-Indian Trinity College dance student named Zoya. Over time, Tiger and Zoya fall in love, and she invites him to "My Son, Pinocchio", a college play sponsored by Kidwai and choreographed by Zoya. A few days later, Tiger is attacked by a mystery assailant, with him and Gopi fearing their identities have been compromised. After seeing the assailant on the day of the play, Tiger chases him through Dublin, which leads to Tiger publicly preventing a Luas train crash.

During the play, Gopi calls Tiger to inform him of activity at Kidwai's house; there, Tiger discovers Zoya is an ISI agent tasked on the same mission as him, extracting Kidwai's research from his computer. She refuses to commit treason and rejects his request for her to hand over the research. Tiger lets her go after combating an attack by Feroz, an ISI agent, who is revealed to be Tiger's mystery assailant. Back in India, Tiger asks to be removed from field duty, instead completing analysis work with his colleague, Bagga. Bagga informs him of an intercepted Pakistani secret message, which was planted by Zoya for Tiger, informing him of her planned arrival at an upcoming UN meeting in Istanbul.

In Istanbul, Tiger and Zoya meet and they decide to elope; after misleading their respective agencies to Nur-Sultan, Tiger and Zoya travel to Havana. Some time later, Tiger and Zoya are tracked down when they foil a mugging attempt, with video surveillance reaching RAW and ISI. Being spotted at an amateur boxing match, the couple make plans to and attempt to flee law enforcement and leave Havana, but Zoya is arrested by the Cuban police and handed over to the ISI to be extradited to Pakistan.

Tiger then meets Gopi, stating Zoya will cooperate with RAW in exchange for her escape. Tiger and Gopi lead a team to intercept Zoya's prisoner transport convoy, but Tiger and Zoya flee Cuba in a light aircraft they had stationed in a nearby field after he is non-fatally shot by Gopi.
Some time later, Tiger calls Shenoy and informs him he and Zoya will return to their home countries when Pakistan and India no longer need the ISI and RAW. In the epilogue, several sightings of Tiger and Zoya are reported in Venice, Cape Town, Zurich, and London.

Cast

* Salman Khan as Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore
A RAW agent who goes undercover under the alias Manish Chandra to spy on Anwar Kidwai.
* Katrina Kaif as Zoya "Zee" Humaimi
An ISI agent who goes undercover to counteract the efforts of Tiger.
* Ranvir Shorey as Gopi Arya
A RAW agent and Tiger's handler.
* Gavie Chahal as Abrar
A section captain of the ISI.
* Girish Karnad as Shenoy
The chief of RAW, who deeply dislikes Pakistan.
* Roshan Seth as Anwar Kidwai
An Indian scientist and university professor whose missile research is sought by RAW and the ISI.

Additionally, Samar Jai Singh appears as Rabinder, a RAW agent who defects to the ISI. Rajender Sethi features as Bagga, a tech analyst for RAW and friend to both Tiger and Shenoy. Troi Ge Borde also features as Feroz, an ISI agent.

Production

Development

After Kabir Khan was announced as director to a then-untitled action film, he approached Shah Rukh Khan with a draft of the screenplay. Although interested, Khan could not star in the film due to scheduling conflicts with ''Don 2'' (2011) and '' Jab Tak Hai Jaan'' (2012). This allowed the film's screenplay, which had been completed in November 2010, to undergo changes well into shooting, including as late as February 2012. In May 2011, several reports confirmed Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif would star in a film titled ''Ek Tha Tiger''. It would be Khan's first venture with Yash Raj Films, and the pair's fourth film together, after '' Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya?'' (2005), '' Partner'' (2007), and '' Yuvvraaj'' (2008). In order to begin filming, Khan had to postpone the development of ''Sher Khan'', a yet unrealized project he began developing with his brother, Sohail Khan. Khan was paid a reported to star in the film. Kaif, who only appeared in one action film prior to ''Ek Tha Tiger'' (2008's '' Race''), performed her own stunts.

Kabir Khan wrote scenes specifically to include Trinity College, considering it "a character of repute"; he had previously visited the university in mid-1995 to interview then Irish President Mary Robinson. According to Avtar
Panesar, Vice President of International Operations at Yash Raj, all locations were ultimately motivated by the screenplay, stating "if it fits the script, if it works, we then make use of the country as a location".

The rest of the cast was finalized over the following year;