Ek Tha Tiger

Ek Tha Tiger follows an elite Indian intelligence operative nicknamed Tiger, who is assigned to shadow a brilliant scientist suspected of dangerous projects. As the mission unfolds, he becomes entangled with the scientist's Pakistani caretaker, Zee, and a magnetic attraction emerges that challenges his strict professional code. Boundaries blur as trust and suspicion collide across a line drawn by politics and history, forcing him to weigh duty against a personal pull that could jeopardize the mission. What starts as a routine surveillance operation soon spirals into a high-stakes chase full of undercover rendezvous, coded messages, and tense moral choices. The film blends brisk action with a romantic thread against a backdrop of espionage and cross border tensions and shifting loyalties.

Directed by Kabir Khan, Ek Tha Tiger was produced by Yash Raj Films with a story from Aditya Chopra and a screenplay by Anvita Dutt and Neelesh Misra. It arrived in 2012 as a stylish spy romance for audiences worldwide.

With a budget around 14.04 million, the film earned about 62.69 million worldwide, marking a solid box office performance that underscored the appeal of a stylish action romance in Indian cinema, and helping shape a wider spy film formula globally.

Ek Tha Tiger helped cement Salman Khan and Katrina Kaifs star power and spawned a broader Tiger franchise, including a 2017 sequel that kept the spy figure in public conversation. It popularized globe spanning action sequences and a stylish espionage vibe, influencing later Hindi thrillers within the spy romance lane.

Critics praised the film for its brisk pacing and the chemistry between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, while noting it rides familiar spy tropes with flair. The narrative threads loyalty, risk, and desire through a tense geopolitical backdrop, delivering a breezy yet sharp action romance with broad appeal to audiences.