Look how Kabir Khan set out to grab the tiger by its tail. The guy is
known for his sophisticated brand of entertainment -
something that
normally doesn't exist on Planet Salman Khan. The masala rush that has
driven Bollywood's Pocket Hercules right to the top of the heap has
definitely been hardcore desi all along. Kabir would seem like the last
filmmaker to fit in.
Ek
Tha Tiger in that sense is a clever mix. The polished specs define
Kabir but they have been smartly used to carve an essential Salman Khan
blockbuster. Gloss over the 'Hollywood-style spy thriller' ballyhoo and
you realise the film is basically all about creating enough excuses to
let machoman Salman bash up the baddies and romance the pretty girl
(Salman khan
even gets to take off his shirt once, but it's a two-second formality).
About Katrina Kaif
While
on the pretty girl, she's quite the Hurricane Katrina here. Notable,
how Katrina Kaif holds her own in a film that has been sold all along as
a toast to its hero. Ek Tha Tiger is actually a cleverly disguised
film. In the end of all the super stunts and whirlwind race across half a
dozen countries the film, you realise, is a vintage Bollywood love
story about hero and heroine running from the world.
Katrina has always been a rare specimen in Bollywood - proving her
screen presence without ever trying to act. If that requires talent,
watch her match stunts skills with Salman now.
Aditya Chopra's
script presents Salman as Tiger, top RAW agent. His mission is a
seemingly harmless one. A professor of Indian origin (Roshan Seth) in
Dublin is suspected of giving away vital research data to Pakistan's
ISI. Tiger must keep watch on him. In Dublin, posing as a writer, Tiger
meets Zoya (Katrina), the professor's housekeeper who is also a dancer.
Sparks fly and, one song down, Tiger is in love with Zoya.
The
first half would keep Salman fans restless. The action comes in fits,
the comedy is far from brand Salman, the drama almost missing and our
hero is definitely looking tired. The film springs to life at interval
point - with Zoya's true identity being revealed. If the twist is
predictable, what follows in the second half doesn't have much of a
plot.
He makes up with treatment what the film lacks by way of plot. An
out-and-out chase caper that doesn't afford loo breaks leads to an
insanely gripping final
Salman, despite being
in elements, looks a tad too old for the supremely sexy Katrina. A
couple of songs are just there because a Salman Khan film must have
songs.
None of that will matter to the frenzied fans (between
Salman and Katrina, the film obviously drives the entire Bollywood fan
bandwagon). What's a little snafu on RAW depiction when it comes to a
200-crore kill!