YRF Spy Universe
| YRF Spy Universe | |
|---|---|
 Official franchise logo since 2023 | |
| Created by | Aditya Chopra |
| Original work | Ek Tha Tiger (2012) |
| Owner | Yash Raj Films |
| Years | 2012–present |
| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
|
| Audio | |
| Soundtrack(s) | |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Budget | Total (3 films): est. ₹435 crore |
| Box office | Total (3 films): est. ₹1,374 crore (See More details) |
YRF Spy Universe is an Indian shared universe centered on a series of spy action-thriller films, which feature various fictional RAW agents. It is produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films.[1]
The franchise has predominantly received positive reviews from critics, and became commercially successful by having grossed ₹1374 crore[2][3] on a combined budget of ₹435 crore,[4][5] thus becoming the third highest-grossing Indian franchise.
Overview
The shared universe, initially starting out as a single movie series, later was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast, and characters.[6]
The first film Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and its sequel Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) centre on a fictional R&AW agent played by Salman Khan. War (2019) tells the story of a R&AW agent played by Hrithik Roshan who goes rogue. Before making War, producer Aditya Chopra and director Siddharth Anand came up with the idea of merging these films and creating a shared universe by crossing over the characters who all belong to the R&AW. However, War was still made as a standalone film without directly connecting to the first two Tiger films—supporting the idea of creating a proper foundation for the War characters before a proper crossover.
Pathaan (2023) starring Shah Rukh Khan as the titular character and a R&AW agent, directed by Anand will be the first film to have characters appearing from both the Tiger franchise and War. It will be marked as the fourth film in the SPY Universe and the first YRF film to have a crossover.[7][8]
Films
Released
| Film | India release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ek Tha Tiger | 15 August 2012 | Kabir Khan | Kabir Khan | Aditya Chopra |
| Tiger Zinda Hai | 22 December 2017 | Ali Abbas Zafar | ||
| War | 2 October 2019 | Siddharth Anand | Sridhar Raghavan | |
Future
| Film | India release date | Director(s) | Screenwriter(s) | Producer(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pathaan | 25 January 2023 | Siddharth Anand | Siddharth Anand, Shridhar Raghavan | Aditya Chopra | Completed |
| Tiger 3 | 10 November 2023 | Maneesh Sharma | Aditya Chopra | Post-production | |
| Untitled War film | TBA | Siddharth Anand | Siddharth Anand, Shridhar Raghavan | Pre-production |
Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
RAW agent Avinash Singh Rathore codenamed "Tiger", 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, who in reality is actually an ISI agent.
Ek Tha Tiger is the first installment of the shared universe and was released on 15 August 2012 worldwide. The film earned ₹325 crore worldwide[9] against a budget of ₹75 crore,[10] becoming one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films by international gross.[11][12]
Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)
Tiger and Zoya join forces with RAW and ISI in order to rescue a group of nurses, who are held hostage by ISC, an Iraqi terrorist organization headed by Abu Usman.
Tiger Zinda Hai is the second installment of the shared universe, and is based on true incidents that happened in 2014 the abduction of Indian nurses by ISIL.[13] Tiger Zinda Hai was released on 22 December 2017 and made a new non-holiday record in India as it collected ₹34.1 crore nett on its first day.[14] It went on to collect ₹35.30 crore gross on second day. The film recorded the second highest day of all time. It netted Rs 154 crore in its first four days in India.[15][16] The film grossed ₹565 crore worldwide[17] becoming the eighth highest-grossing Indian film. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, it won for Best Action.[18]
War (2019)
Kabir, a skilled RAW agent, goes rogue after a mission to catch a terrorist named Rizwan Illiyasi goes awry. However, his boss sends Khalid, another agent 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, Vaani Kapoor and Tiger Shroff in lead roles.[19] It was released on 2 October 2019, coinciding with the Gandhi Jayanti.[20] 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.[21]
Pathaan (2023)
Pathaan, an exiled RAW agent is assigned to take down "Outfit X", a private terror organization which is planning massive attacks on India.
Pathaan will be the fourth installment in the shared universe directed by Siddharth Anand, and will be the first YRF Spy Universe movie to feature two post-credits scene as inspired from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[22] The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead roles.[23][24][25] Salman Khan & Hrithik Roshan appear in extended cameo roles as "Tiger" & "Kabir".[26][27] Aditya Chopra and Siddharth Anand are said to write the film. It is the most expensive project of Yash Raj Films.[28] This film is YRF's first Dolby Cinema release and the first Bollywood film to be shot fully with IMAX cameras.
Tiger 3 (2023)
The fifth installment of the shared universe and a sequel to Tiger Zinda Hai and Pathaan, which features Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif reprising their roles, and Emraan Hashmi playing the antagonist. The film is directed by Maneesh Sharma.[29] Shah Rukh Khan & Hrithik Roshan will reprise their roles from Pathaan & War in an extended cameo appearance, respectively. Aditya Chopra and Shridhar Raghavan are said to write the film.[30]
Cast and crew
Cast
This table lists the main characters who appear in the YRF Spy Universe.
| Actors | Films | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ek Tha Tiger (2012) |
Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) |
War (2019) |
Pathaan (2023) |
Tiger 3 (2023) | ||||
| Salman Khan | Avinash Singh Rathore / Tiger | Avinash Singh Rathore / Tiger | ||||||
| Katrina Kaif | Zoya Humaini | Zoya Humaini | ||||||
| Hrithik Roshan | Maj. Kabir Dhaliwal | |||||||
| Vaani Kapoor | Naina Verma | |||||||
| Shah Rukh Khan | Feroz Pathaan | |||||||
| Deepika Padukone | NA | |||||||
| Tiger Shroff | Capt. Khalid Rahmani/Saurabh | |||||||
| John Abraham | Jim | |||||||
| Emraan Hashmi | NA | |||||||
| Sajjad Delafrooz | Abu Usman | |||||||
| Ashutosh Rana | Col. Sunil Luthra | |||||||
| Anupriya Goenka | Poorna | Aditi Nahta [N 1] | ||||||
| Dimple Kapadia | Madhu Sareen | |||||||
| Gavie Chahal | Captain Abrar | Captain Abrar | ||||||
| Girish Karnad | Shenoy | |||||||
| Mashhoor Amrohi | Firoze Contractor / Rizwan Ilyasi | |||||||
| Dishita Sehgal | Ruhi Verma | |||||||
| Siddhartha Basu | Indian External Affairs minister | Indian External Affairs minister | ||||||
| Ranvir Shorey | Gopi Arya | Gopi Arya | ||||||
| Angad Bedi | Namit Khanna | Namit Khanna | ||||||
| Kumud Mishra | Rakesh Prajapati | Rakesh Prajapati | ||||||
| Gautam Rode | NA | |||||||
| Shaji Choudhary | NA | |||||||
| Vishal Jethwa | NA | |||||||
Crew
| Occupation | Film | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ek Tha Tiger (2012) |
Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) |
War (2019) |
Pathaan (2023) |
Tiger 3 (2023) | |
| Director | Kabir Khan | Ali Abbas Zafar | Siddharth Anand | Maneesh Sharma | |
| Producer(s) | Aditya Chopra | ||||
| Story | Aditya Chopra | Neelesh Misra Ali Abbas Zafar |
Aditya Chopra Siddharth Anand |
Siddharth Anand | — |
| Screenplay | Kabir Khan Neelesh Misra |
Ali Abbas Zafar | Shridhar Raghavan Siddharth Anand |
Shridhar Raghavan | — |
| Dialogues | Abbas Tyrewala | — | |||
| Music Composer(s) | Sohail Sen Sajid–Wajid |
Vishal–Shekhar | Pritam | ||
| Lyricists | Neelesh Misra Kausar Munir Anvita Dutt Guptan |
Irshad Kamil | Kumaar | — | |
| Background Score | Julius Packiam | Sanchit Balhara Ankit Balhara |
Julius Packiam | ||
| Cinematography | Aseem Mishra | Marcin Laskawiec | Benjamin Jasper | Satchith Paulose | Anay Goswamy |
| Editor | Rameshwar S. Bhagat | Aarif Sheikh | — | ||
| Costume Designers | Alvira Khan Agnihotri Ashley Rebello Arun Chauhan Anoushka Veljee |
Alvira Khan Agnihotri Ashley Rebello Leepakshi Ellawadi |
Anaita Shroff Adajania Niharika Jolly |
Shaleena Nathani Mamta Anand Niharika Jolly |
— |
| Production Designers | Sukant Panigrahy | Rajnish Hedao | Rajat Poddar | Mayur Sharma | |
| Choreographers | Vaibhavi Merchant Ahmed Khan |
Vaibhavi Merchant | Bosco-Caesar Tushar Kalia |
Bosco-Caesar Vaibhavi Merchant |
— |
| Action Directors | Conrad Palmisano | Tom Struthers | Paul Jennings Oh Sea Young Parvez Shaikh Franz Spilhaus |
Sunil Rodrigues Casey O'Neill Craig Macrae |
Parvez Shaikh Franz Spilhaus Mark Ginther |
| Sound Designers | Debashish Mishra Dwarak Warrier |
Dileep Subramaniam Ganesh Gangadharan |
Pritam Das Ganesh Gangadharan |
Manas Choudhary Ganesh Gangadharan |
— |
| Line Producers | Yogendra Mogre | Sudhanshu Kumar | Amit Tomar Gurpreet Singh |
Sudhanshu Kumar | — |
Reception
Box office performance
The universe has been notable for its profit, with Ek Tha Tiger.[9] and its follow-up having earned a combined profit of ₹1374 crore, according to IBtimes.[17]
| Film | Release date | Budget | Box office revenue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ek Tha Tiger | 15 August 2012 | ₹75 crore (US$9.0 million) | ₹334 crore (US$40 million) | [4][3] |
| Tiger Zinda Hai | 22 December 2017 | ₹150 crore (US$18 million) | ₹565 crore (US$68 million) | [31] |
| War | 2 October 2019 | ₹150 crore (US$18 million) | ₹475 crore (US$57 million) | [32] |
| Total | ₹375 crore (US$45 million) (three films) |
₹1,374 crore (US$160 million) (three films) |
||
Critical and public response
Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
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.[33] 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.[34]
Jahanavi Samant of Mid-Day gave the film the same rating and criticized its tone as being inconsistent, with "Ek Tha Tiger [being] unable to decide whether it is spy action or a love saga".[35] 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".[36]
Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)
Tiger Zinda Hai opened to mostly positive reviews.[37] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5 stars, and said "Salman is the lifeline, the real treasure of Tiger 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] Umesh Punwani of Koimoi gave 4 stars, and said "Katrina Kaif is brilliant! She has very few dialogues, and no, that's not the reason she's good. Working amazingly well with her expressions, she has turned into an athlete for this one. Performing a few major action sequences, she is flawless."[38][39]
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."[40] 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."[41]
War (2019)
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 four stars out of five, 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".[42]
Komal Nahta of Film Information opined, "The film could prove to be the starting of a new franchise for the Yash Raj Films banner".[43] Writing for India TV, Sonal gave the film three and a half stars out of five, 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".[44]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".[45]
See also
- Cop Universe
- Dhoom (franchise)
- Tiger (franchise)
- Race (film series)
- Baaghi (film series)
- Dinesh Vijan's horror-comedy universe
- K.G.F (film series)
- Lokesh Cinematic Universe
Notes
- ^ It is explained that Goenka plays the same person from the film Tiger Zinda Hai, in which after her survival from Iraq, she becomes inspired by Tiger to become an agent for her country and eventually joins RAW and changes her name from Poorna to Aditi to keep her identity secret.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "YRF offers profit to Salman". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 28 February 2011.
- ^ "War Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Tiger Zinda Hai Box Office Collection". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
- ^ a b "Ek Tha Tiger: It's Salman's show all the way". IBNLive.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Bollywood Top Grossers Worldwide Bollywood Hungama". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- ^ "Salman Khan confirms YRF's spy universe with Shah Rukh Khan's Pathan and Tiger 3". Bollywood Hungama. 27 December 2021.
- ^ "Ashutosh Rana to reprise War role in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathan". Bollywood Hungama. 4 August 2021.
- ^ "Salman Khan to join Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham at the top of Burj Khalifa for Pathan". Bollywood Hungama. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
- ^ a b "Bollywood's Top Worldwide Earners". Koimoi. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2014.
- ^ "Ek Tha Tiger: It's Salman's show all the way". IBNLive.com. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 16 August 2012.
- ^ "Top Ten Overseas: EK THA TIGER Sixth". Boxofficeindia.com. 30 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ "Ek Tha Tiger To Close at Around $120 Million in Overseas". Boxofficeindia.com. Archived from the original on 31 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
- ^ "The real story of Tiger Zinda Hai: How India got 46 nurses back from ISIS". Rediff.com. 7 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai Sets Non Holiday Record - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 27 December 2017.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai Monday Early Estimate - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ "Tiger Runs Riot On Monday - Challenges Bahubali - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
- ^ a b "Top Worldwide Figures – All Formats And Hindi". Box Office India. 2 November 2018.
- ^ "Filmfare Awards 2018: Complete List Of Winners". NDTV.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
- ^ "Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff starrer War to be screened in 4DX: Latest Bollywood News". The Prime Time. 10 September 2019.
- ^ "Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff's action film to release on October 2, 2019". Hindustan Times. 3 February 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
- ^ "War Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ "Pathan: Will Siddharth Anand Follow 'Bang Bang', 'War' Route For Shah Rukh Khan's Comeback Film?". Koimoi. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Vishal Dadlani announces Shah Rukh Khan's Pathan. King is back, say fans". India Today. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Pathan: While Deepika charges Rs 15 crore and John takes home Rs 20 crore, SRK goes for the King's share?". Zoom. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Deepika Padukone starts shooting for Pathan with Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai". India Today. 4 July 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Desk, India com Entertainment (14 December 2020). "Salman Khan as Tiger in Shah Rukh Khan's Pathan: Superstars to Shoot For 15-Minutes Scene in Dubai". India.com. Retrieved 7 October 2021.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Salman Khan confirms his cameo in Shah Rukh Khan's comeback film Pathan". Pinkvilla. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Why Salman Joining Pathan Can Make It The First 500 Crore Blockbuster in Bollywood". Pinkvilla. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "INSIDE SCOOP: The real reason why Maneesh Sharma and not Ali Abbas Zafar is directing Salman Khan's Tiger 3". Bollywood Hungama. 1 September 2020. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Emraan Hashmi turns villain for Salman Khan's Tiger 3". The Indian Express. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
- ^ "War Box Office". Bollywood Hungama. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
- ^ Gout, Marjolaine (20 August 2012). "Ek Tha Tiger review" (in French). Ecranlarge.com/Digiside. Retrieved 21 April 2013.
- ^ Chopra, Anupama (16 August 2012). "Anupama Chopra's review: Ek Tha Tiger". Hindustan Times.
- ^ Janhavi Samant. "Meow goes the Tiger". Mid-Day.
- ^ SCHEIB, RONNIE. "Ek Tha Tiger review". variety. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai Box Office Collection: Will Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif deliver 2017's biggest hit?". m.businesstoday.in.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai Movie Review: Salman Khan & Katrina Kaif - Entertainment Abhi Zinda Hai". Koimoi. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Film review: Tiger Zinda Hai". The National. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Tiger Zinda Hai Review {3.5/5}: This Tiger is alive and kicking". The Times of India. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ "Movie Review: Tiger Zinda Hai". filmfare.com. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
- ^ adarsh, taran (2 October 2019). "#OneWordReview... #War: BLOCKBUSTER. Escapist cinema at its best... Aces: Hrithik and Tiger's power-packed act and chemistry + dazzling action pieces + stunning visual appeal + ample thrills, twists, suspense... Dear BO, get ready for the typhoon. #WarReviewpic.twitter.com/iHGtaSk8cl". @taran_adarsh. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ "'WAR' | 2 October 2019". Film Information. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
- ^ "War movie review: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff's film is a flawed spectacle". IndiaTV.
- ^ "War Movie Review {3/5}: Lot of style, stunts and show, but lacks a solid storyline" – via timesofindia.indiatimes.com.
External links
- Ek Tha Tiger at IMDb
- Tiger Zinda Hai at IMDb
- War (2019 film) at IMDb
- Pathan at IMDb