Director Ali Abbas Zafar is all keyed up as his second film with Salman Khan, Tiger Zinda Hai—a sequel to 2011 Kabir Khan’s film Ek Tha Tiger—is all set to release on December 22. After a blockbuster hit like Sultan, the director reveals what made him take up a sequel to Kabir’s film. “I never
planned it as a sequel. I had written a different story on an incident that happened in Iraq, when (Narendra) Modi came into power (at the Centre). A total of 46 Indian nurses were taken hostage by the ISIS in 2014,” he says.
The script was ready, but he was shooting for Sultan then. “After completion of the movie, Aditya Chopra asked me what was that I wanted to make. I narrated the script, saying it was topical and people would relate to it. I told him that there is a Pakistani agent and an Indian agent, and we could relate it to Ek Tha Tiger. He loved the concept.”
Then, he narrated the story to Salman and Katrina, who also loved it. “We ideated and thought why Indian spies can’t do a mission on this scale. It’s about humanity and pride of the country,” says Zafar, who recently announced his third venture with Salman, titled Bharat.
The director says that Tiger Zinda Hai is more about the agents and their mission. “We have kept romance on the back burner. Ek Tha Tiger was more about romance. Here we have a lot of action. But we have tried not to make Salman a superhero. He is very realistic. The film has been shot in a war zone and has a war-like action.”
A lot of research and paper work was done before scripting of the film began. “We did extensive research. We read books on how military intelligence or the Mossad, the ISI or the RAW work. I read a book about Rameshwar Nath Kao, one of the most remarkable spies in the history of modern India, with intricate details on how intelligence works.”
About Salman and Katrina’s chemistry in the film, he says, “They have known each other for a long time now, and when bhai looks at anyone, he shows love. Even his chemistry with Anushka in Sultan was good. It never looks fake because we don’t push them to create their chemistry. Salman is a sophisticated Indian when it comes to handling romance in films. He is never obnoxious. They are comfortable with each other.”
There is a buzz that they have a lip-lock scene in the film for the first time, but Zafar refutes the rumours. “I have never had such scenes in any of my films. I am of the belief that it’s an Indian film and we have a culture of watching films with families. I would not like to put people in uncomfortable situations,” says the director.
The film has been shot in India, Morocco and Austria. “We had tough time shooting there as the weather didn’t permit us. “Most of the action scenes were shot in the UAE and Morocco. We shot in the summer and the heat was killing. We had tough scenes with choppers, guns, missiles and tanks. Though it affected everybody in the crew, we had professionals to help us. Austria was very cold and hence, Salman suffered.”
This is Zafar’s second film with Katrina Kaif too, after Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
About her role, he says, “She’s played the Pakistan agent and she’s done a great job in the action sequences. She is beautiful and very talented, and a great friend. I feel she is the most underrated actor. She is very hard working and gives her 100 per cent when directors push her. I hope everyone will like her.”
Tiger Zinda Hai also stars a UAE-based actor, Sajjad, who plays a negative role. “It is an important character. We wanted an actor with no baggage and someone who could be mounted opposite Tiger. He had to be challenging hence we zeroed in on Sajjad. His accent is typical when he talks in English or Hindi,” says Zafar.
About the next project, Bharat, he says, “It’s the love story of a father and a son. It’s an adaptation of the Korean film Ode to My father. Salim Saab has read it. After watching the film, he asked Salman to do it. It’s a different film from everything that I have made.”
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was a romantic comedy, Gunday was the story of friends and a period drama, Sultan was based on sports. “Somewhere, similarities are there but they have different genres. I am never over confident, I feel it’s my first film whenever I go on the sets and I give it my 100 per cent. Romantic interest is there but we have not yet decided on any names as yet,” he says.