YRF Spy Universe is an Indian media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of spyaction films, which feature various fictional R&AW agents.[2] The first three films in the universe - Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and War (2019) - were released as standalone films before the universe was established through Pathaan (2023) after the success of War. The franchise also includes comic books, graphic novels and video games. The films are created, produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films.[3]
The first film Ek Tha Tiger (2012) directed by Kabir Khan was centered on a fictional RAW agent named Avinash Singh Rathore alias Tiger played by Salman Khan. This was followed by its sequels Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and the fifth film in the universe Tiger 3 (2023) directed by Maneesh Sharma. The third film War (2019) directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff was released as a standalone film with no connection to the Tiger films. The universe was created when Aditya Chopra and Siddharth Anand decided to connect the three films and create a shared universe through crossovers with characters and connecting plot lines. The fourth installment Pathaan (2023), also directed by Anand, starring Shah Rukh Khan, was the first film in the universe to feature characters from the previous films.[4][5][6] The sixth installment War 2 (2025), directed by Ayan Mukerji, continues the storyline established in War.[7]
RAW agent Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore, is sent to Dublin to observe an Indian scientist who is suspected of sharing nuclear secrets with the ISI. He meets and falls for his caretaker Zoya Nazar, a girl with a dark past.
Tiger and Zoya rejoin forces with RAW and ISI in order to rescue a group of nurses, who are held hostage by ISC, an Iraqi terrorist organisation headed by Abu Usman.
Tiger Zinda Hai is the second instalment of the shared universe, and is based on true incidents that happened in 2014 the abduction of Indian nurses by ISIL.[11]Tiger Zinda Hai was released on 22 December 2017 and made a new non-holiday record in India as it collected ₹34.1crore nett on its first day.[12] It went on to collect ₹35.30 crores gross on the second day. The film recorded the second-highest day of all time. It netted Rs 154 crore in its first four days in India.[13][14] The film grossed ₹565crore worldwide[15] becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian film. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, it won for Best Action.[16]
Major Kabir Dhaliwal, a former soldier and a skilled agent, goes rogue after a mission to catch a terrorist named Rizwan Ilyasi goes awry. However, his boss sends Khalid, another soldier and Kabir's student to track him down.
War is the third installment of the shared universe, which was commissioned after the success of the previous films, and was directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles.[17] It was released on 2 October 2019, coinciding with the Gandhi Jayanti.[18] Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film emerged as a huge box office success, becoming the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2019 and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.[19]
Pathaan, an exiled RAW agent is assigned to take down Jim, a former RAW agent-turned-leader of "Outfit X", a private terror organization that is planning to spread a deadly lab-generated virus dubbed "Raktbeej" across India.
Pathaan is the fourth installment in the shared universe directed by Siddharth Anand, and the first spy universe film to feature a mid-credits scene.[citation needed] The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead roles.[20][21][22] Salman Khan reprises his role as Tiger in a cameo appearance.[23] It was made on a budget of ₹250 crore, and was a major commercial success, making it the highest-grossing film in the universe.[24]
Tiger and Zoya must go on a life-threatening crusade to clear their names after they are framed as traitors by Aatish Rehman, an ex-ISI agent turned terrorist with a personal vendetta against Tiger.
Tiger 3 is the fifth installment of the shared universe and sequel to Tiger Zinda Hai. It features Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, reprising their eponymous roles of Tiger and Zoya, with Emraan Hashmi playing the antagonist. Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan reprise their roles as Pathaan and Major Kabir Dhaliwal in cameo appearances. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma.[25][26] The music was composed by Pritam, with the lyrics written by Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya. It was made on a budget on ₹300 crore, making it the second most expensive film in the universe, behind War 2.[27]
Kabir Dhaliwal, a former RAW agent, who, after going rogue, becomes a major threat to national security, and a special units officer, Vikram Chelapathi, is assigned to neutralize him.
The eighth installment in the universe and sequel to Pathaan was announced in February 2024.[37]Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will reprise their roles as Pathaan and Rubai.[38]
Tiger vs Pathaan
In 2021, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were rumored to star together for a film. In December 2021, Salman Khan confirmed the rumors. In April 2023, the ninth installment of the universe Tiger vs Pathaan was announced.[39]
Avinash Singh Rathore, better known by his codename Tiger, is a fictional Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) agent appearing in the Tiger film series and other films of the YRF Spy Universe, an Indian cinematic universe.[40][41][42] He is portrayed by Salman Khan. The character first appeared in Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and appeared in its sequels Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and Tiger 3 (2023). Tiger also made a brief appearance in Pathaan (2023), another film in the universe.[43][44][45]
In Ek Tha Tiger, Tiger disassociates himself with R&AW after eloping with Zoya Nazar, a Pakistani ISI agent. However, he remains loyal to India and occasionally goes on missions to save his country from threats.[46][47] Tiger is married to Zoya and has two sons: an adopted-son Hassan, a suicide bomber whom he adopted during a mission in Iraq and his biological son, Junior. He is one of the three main agents in the universe, along with Pathaan (portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan) and Kabir (portrayed by Hrithik Roshan).[48][49]
Development
The family of Ravindra Kaushik, an Indian R&AW agent nicknamed "Black Tiger", claimed that the story of the film Ek Tha Tiger was based on his life and asked for credits in the film titles. In July 2012, a legal notice was served by the nephew of Kaushik, stating the film bears a striking resemblance to his uncle and his uncle's life.[50] Though director Kabir Khan denied these claims.[50]
A graphic novel titled Ek Tha Tiger: Mahasagar Ki Suraksha (English: Ek Tha Tiger: Saving The High Seas) was published in 2012 by Yomics. Post-release, the comic failed to generate positive word-of-mouth. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama commended the comics' design but said that the main story failed to meet his expectations of a deeper plot, exciting narrative, and a tighter script.[51]
Another graphic novel named Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web has been published in 2012 by Yomics, which also features some Hum Tum characters.[52]
Zoya Nazar is a Pakistani ISI agent portrayed by Katrina Kaif.[55][56][42] She defected from the ISI, after eloping with her love interest turned husband Tiger, an Indian RAW agent. However, she remains loyal to Pakistan and occasionally goes on missions to save her country from threats.[57][46][47] She is married to Tiger and has two sons: an adopted son named Hassan, a suicide bomber whom she adopted during a mission in Iraq and a biological son named Junior.[58][59][60]
Major Kabir Dhaliwal is a RAW agent and former soldier, portrayed by Hrithik Roshan. He is first introduced in War and is initially believed to have gone rogue. However, it is later revealed that he is on a covert mission to stop a terrorist organization. He is the former mentor of Khalid and Saurabh, the latter of whom turned rogue. Despite being unmarried, he is the legal guardian to Ruhi, the daughter of his deceased partner, Naina. He is one of three main agents in the universe, along with Tiger and Pathaan.[61][62] He was trained by Colonel Sunil Luthra and considered him as a father figure.
In his childhood, he became an orphaned and befriended a boy named Raghu. The two became pickpockets, eventually ending up in a juvenile detention centre. One day, there are visited by Luthra who motivates them to join the Army. While Kabir gets selected, Raghu does not leading to him escaping in retaliation.
In his second mission, he infiltrates the Kali, a global syndicate that aims to control the Indian government. Agent Vikram Chelapathi is assigned to eliminate him, however he learns of Vikram's true intentions and defeats him. However, he spares him and convinces him to help him finish off Kali. The two promise to work together under the shadows.
Pathaan is a RAW agent and former soldier portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan. He is first introduced in Pathaan (2023). In 2002, during a joint mission in Afghanistan to take down a Taliban leader, Pathaan saved the lives of 30 children and an elderly teacher (an Afghan/Pashtun) who gives him the name "Pathaan" for his bravery. He created Joint Operations and Covert Research (J.O.C.R), a sub-division of R&AW, that recruits Indian soldiers and agents who were forced to retire due to injury or emotional trauma.[63][64][65] Rubina "Rubai" Mohsin, a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agent, is his love interest, whom he met during a mission in Spain and Moscow.[66][67][68] He is one of the three main agents in the universe, along with Tiger and Kabir.
Jim is the founder and leader of "Outfit X", a private terrorist organisation, portrayed by John Abraham. He is a former Indian RAW agent, who turned rogue after the Indian government refused to negotiate with Somalian terrorists in exchange for him and his pregnant wife. As a result, he faked his own death, founded Outfit X and began looking for an opportunity to take revenge on India. In 2019, Jim was hired by General Qadir of the Pakistan Army to plan a biological attack via a deadly synthetic virus on India and other parts of South Asia, locking horns with the agent Pathaan in the process.[69][70] Rubina Mohsin, a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agent was also in his team but later turned against him and fought alongside Pathaan and his team.[71]
Rubina Mohsin, more commonly known by her nickname "Rubai", is a Pakistani ISI agent portrayed by Deepika Padukone.[72][73] After her father was arrested and tortured, she became a doctor in Pakistan.[74] Later she joined the ISI but defected, joining Outfit X a private terrorist organisation, but soon joined Pathaan to stop Jim from spreading a deadly virus across South Asia.[75] Pathaan, an Indian RAW agent is her love interest, whom she had met in Spain.[76][77]
Aatish Rehman is a former Pakistani Deputy Director of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), portrayed by Emraan Hashmi. He was a mentor to Zoya, and had in the past assigned his pregnant wife Shaheen, the task of killing an Indian General who was to sign a peace treaty with Pakistan; but his plan was ruined when she was killed by Tiger. Wanting revenge from Tiger and Zoya, he kidnaps their son Junior, and blackmails them to steal nuclear weapons codes and later frames them as traitors. He ultimately wants to bring dictatorship in Pakistan by dismissing the democratic government and assassinating the Prime Minister. His plans are later stopped by Tiger and his team.
Kavya Luthra is a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, played by Kiara Advani. She is the daughter of Colonel Sunil Luthra and was once the love interest of Kabir. She had proposed to Kabir but he had declined due to his commitments to RAW. After Colonel Luthra gets killed by Kabir, she wants to extract revenge, but later, after Kabir reveals his true intentions, they work together to take down Vikram. She later reconciles with Kabir.
Major Vikram (Raghu) Chelapathi is a RAW agent played by N. T. Rama Rao Jr. He is the childhood friend of Kabir, and had mentored him. They both became pickpockets and ended up in a juvenile detention centre. There, they are visited by Colonel Sunil Luthra who motivates them to join the Army. Vikram, however does not get selected, leading to him escaping in retaliation. He eventually joins the Army and becomes a member of Kali. His plans however are stopped by Kabir who defeats him. However, he reedems himself and helps Kabir eliminate the remaining members of the cartel. Although he is declared dead in India, he promises to work with Kabir in the shadows.
Following the release of War 2, Vineeta Kumar, writing for India Today, criticised the representation of women in the YRF Spy Universe, which she commented had "reduced its women from agents to accessories".[78]
Box office performance
Each film is linked to the "Box office" section of its article.
The universe has been notable for its profit. Ek Tha Tiger[79] and its follow-up Tiger Zinda Hai and Tiger 3 earned a combined profit of ₹1,365.63 crore, according to International Business Times.[15]
In India, there was praise for the film's feminist themes, with Marjolaine Gout noting the film is "a roaring, visual, comic feast where the damsel in distress fights back", giving Ek Tha Tiger 3.5 out of 5 stars.[96]Anupama Chopra of the Hindustan Times also commended the feminist themes, saying "it's such a pleasure to see a Hindi film heroine not [be] a damsel in distress", while also praising the film's action sequences, giving Ek Tha Tiger 3 out of 5 stars.[97]
Jahanavi Samant of Mid-Day gave the film the same rating and criticised its tone as being inconsistent, with "Ek Tha Tiger [being] unable to decide whether it is spy action or a love saga".[98] Ronnie Scheib of Variety gave a positive review, praising the performances of the leads and film's production aesthetic, noting "Kaif impresses in her action-heroine debut, while Salman Khan's thinking-on-his-feet immediacy adds depth to his usual macho muscle. Local audiences will no doubt derive a special thrill from the onscreen reunion of stars Khan and Kaif, [with] Aseem Mishra's gorgeous location lensing".[99]
Tiger Zinda Hai opened to mostly positive reviews.[100]Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5 stars, and said "Salman is the lifeline, the real treasure ofTiger Zinda Hai. He sinks his teeth into the character and, in several sequences, peels off the mask of super-stardom and brings the actor to the fore. Katrina is in solid form, in action sequences specifically commands attention."[citation needed][101]
Lasyapriya Sundaram of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars, and said "The film is visually stunning in parts and Salman Khan plays Tiger with roaring confidence and dialogues packed with punch. Of course, his fans get a true-blue Salman Khan moment when he bares his torso."[102] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave 3.5 stars, and said "It may look like a Hollywood action thriller, but at its heart, Tiger Zinda Hai is an unabashed masala movie. The heady mixture of an international-looking action film and the regular tropes of Hindi cinema make it a pleasing watch."[103]
Anupama Chopra said,"War is a popcorn entertainer and you can't ask too many questions but if you're willing to suspend disbelief, the twists and turns exert a solid grip."[citation needed] A writer for Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4 stars, and said "War is an action entertainer which has style as well as enough twists and turns to keep the viewers engrossed. At the box office, the extended weekend, dazzling action, stunning international locales and stylish execution will ensure mammoth footfalls for the film".[citation needed]Taran Adarsh gave it four stars out of five and called the film "[e]scapist cinema at its best".[104]
Komal Nahta of Film Information opined, "The film could prove to be the starting of a new franchise for the Yash Raj Films banner".[105] Writing for India TV, Sonal gave the film 3.5 stars, writing, "Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff of Abbas-Mustan kinda twists, turns, characters, situations, logic, gravity, physics, chemistry, and some Ekta Kapoor-esque tricks all tossed together to make a visually spectacular concoction".[106]The Times of India rated it three stars out of five and felt the film had "lot of style, stunts and show, but lacking a solid storyline".[107]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and termed the film "complete entertainer replete with action, emotions, patriotism, humour, thrill, and of course, the star power of Shah Rukh Khan."[108] Sukanya Verma of Rediff gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Shah Rukh Khan's weathered intensity, grizzly charisma and trademark wit lends Pathaan's all-out, devil-may-care antics a sense of purpose that evades mindless acts of mayhem".[109] Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and stated that the film is a "visual spectacle" and termed action choreography is "truly out of this world".[110]Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and said that the film swings and strikes with all the "style" and "aplomb" in the world.[111]
Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Pathaan has all the ingredients of a masala potboiler — slowmo entries, iconic battle of good versus bad and most importantly a sexy-smouldering Shah Rukh Khan, who can fight the good fight on and off the screen".[112] Himesh Mankad of Pinkvilla gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and termed it as "tentpole event film" which has right amount of action, thrill, emotion and drama.[113]
Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 is the biggest dhamaka you can expect this Diwali" praised the second half and performances of Khan, Kaif and Hashmi and appreciated the cameo of Shahrukh Khan.[114] Himesh Mankad of Pinkvilla gave the film 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 rides hugely mounted action sequences backed with power performances by Khan, Kaif and Hashmi. While pacing is an issue at some places, the core plot has enough of an emotional connect to keep you glued on the big screen. The film is an action-packed entertainer that has all the ingredients to emerge as Khan’s highest grosser till date."[115]
Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 qualifies as a good addition to the franchise with enough ammo for mass entertainment."[116] Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Despite an overcrowded spy universe, Tiger 3 manages to hold his own ground. Khan fans won’t be disappointed, but someone give Kaif a Zoya series pronto!"[117]
Dhaval Roy of The Times Of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "strictly watchable, only for the action and spectacle".[118] Kusumika Das from Times Now gave the film 3 out of 5 stars. She praised the performances, action sequences, and dialogues but noted that the film struggled in the second half due to a slower pace.[119] Vinamra Mathur of Firstpost gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and noted that the film had endless conversations and combats that barely served any purpose.[120] Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, criticising the screenplay and soundtrack, but praising the action sequences.[121] Radhika Sharma of NDTV gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "The sequel takes the viewers on a journey to at least 10 countries, stuffing episodes from at least six of them in the post credis".[122] Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing "War 2 offers you exactly what you’d expect from a mass entertainer: some escapist fun, truly knockout action scenes, and overall, a good time at the movies".[123]
Other media
Graphic novels
A graphic novel titled Ek Tha Tiger: Mahasagar Ki Suraksha (English: Ek Tha Tiger: Saving The High Seas) was published in 2012 by Yomics. Post-release, the comic failed to generate positive word-of-mouth. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama commended the comics' design but said that the main story failed to meet his expectations of a deeper plot, exciting narrative, and a tighter script.[124]
Another graphic novel named Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web has been published in 2012 by Yomics, which also features some Hum Tum characters.[125]
↑ Gout, Marjolaine (20 August 2012). "Ek Tha Tiger review" (in French). Ecranlarge.com/Digiside. Archived from the original on 1 August 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
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