Ek Tha Tiger (English: Once There Was a Tiger) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action spy film directed by Kabir Khan and produced by Aditya Chopra under the Yash Raj Films banner. The film stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles, with Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad and Roshan Seth in supporting roles. It is the first instalment in the YRF Spy Universe.
| Title | Ek Tha Tiger |
|---|---|
| Director | Kabir Khan |
| Producer | Aditya Chopra |
| Story | Aditya Chopra |
| Screenplay | Kabir Khan, Neelesh Misra |
| Studio | Yash Raj Films |
| Lead cast | Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif |
| Music | Sohail Sen, Sajid–Wajid (songs); Julius Packiam (score) |
| Cinematography | Aseem Mishra |
| Editor | Rameshwar S. Bhagat |
| Release date | 15 August 2012 |
| Language | Hindi |
| Franchise | YRF Spy Universe |
| Sequel | Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) |
The film follows Avinash Singh Rathore, code-named "Tiger", an agent of India's Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), who is sent to Dublin, Ireland, to monitor an Indian-origin scientist suspected of sharing missile technology with Pakistan. During the assignment, Tiger meets Zoya, a part-time caretaker at the scientist's home, and falls in love with her. The romance is complicated when Zoya's true identity as an agent of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is revealed, forcing the two to choose between their nations and each other.
The project was developed by Aditya Chopra and directed by Kabir Khan, who had earlier helmed Kabul Express (2006) and New York (2009) for Yash Raj Films. Principal photography took place across multiple international locations including Dublin (Ireland), Istanbul (Turkey), Havana (Cuba), and Quito (Ecuador), in addition to schedules in India. The international action sequences and chase scenes were a significant component of the film's production design.
The soundtrack was composed by Sohail Sen and Sajid–Wajid, with lyrics by Neelesh Misra, Anvita Dutt Guptan and Kausar Munir. Notable songs include "Mashallah", "Laapata" and "Saiyaara", the last of which became a chart-topping hit. The background score was composed by Julius Packiam.
Ek Tha Tiger was released worldwide on 15 August 2012, coinciding with India's Independence Day. It opened to large audiences and emerged as one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year. The film received generally positive reviews for its action choreography, cinematography and the lead pairing, while some critics noted a conventional storyline.
The success of Ek Tha Tiger led to the development of the YRF Spy Universe, a shared cinematic universe of espionage films produced by Yash Raj Films. The Tiger character returned in Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), again directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, and in Tiger 3 (2023), directed by Maneesh Sharma. The universe later expanded with War (2019) featuring Hrithik Roshan as Kabir, and Pathaan (2023) starring Shah Rukh Khan, with crossover appearances linking the films.
The film is regarded as a milestone in mainstream Hindi cinema for popularising the spy-thriller genre with international scale and for establishing the YRF Spy Universe, one of the earliest sustained shared universes in Indian cinema. It also marked a significant on-screen collaboration between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif following Yuvvraaj (2008).