Tiger 3 Review: Salman Khan is the Doing and Undoing of an Uneven Spy Drama

Rahul Desai

Tiger’s Real Stripes

Tiger 3 starts off with the right ideas. Tiger and Zoya are again forced back from exile and domestic bliss in Austria. He continues to be skeptical about his new R&AW boss (Revathi). At stake is a rare peace agreement between India and Pakistan. 

Given How Little A Salman Khan Hero Moves On Screen

The filmmaking is forced to be more kinetic. The law of relative motion comes into play. The camera, co-stars, flying objects and overall narrative must move faster to create an illusion that Tiger is moving.

It’s Fun To Watch Because

As an elite spy, it nearly makes sense that the man’s face refuses to acknowledge the physics or fiction of a moment. When the viewer can’t even tell what he’s feeling, there’s no chance the enemy can. 

The Film’s Salman Khan-Sized Aura

It means that it’s not enough to protect the world from hatred. In this case, it amounts to something more specific: Saving Pakistan from itself. The big-brother complex is writ large over Tiger’s mission.

The Bottom Line Is That

Someone like Tiger doesn’t offer help, he imposes help. The film doesn’t exhibit kindness, it flaunts kindness. Characters don’t sacrifice themselves, they blow themselves up to give terrorists a taste of their own medicine.