The film takes off explaining the scenario between the RAW and ISI, secret service agencies of both India and Pakistan respectively, who battle it out daily to protect their nation’s information. Enters Tiger (Salman Khan), an espionage agent, who has been working undercover since 12 years sans any break. A ruthless, emotionless agent at work, Tiger once sent on a mission to Dublin to keep a watch over a scientist turned professor, falls for the professor’s caretaker Zoya (Katrina Kaif). However, in the world of RAW agents, one cannot reveal his identity nor ever trust anyone. Whether Tiger’s love culminates or not follows through the rest of the plot.

For the first time in the last five years there hasn’t been a case that Salman Khan has done an action sequence in a film where his opponents aren’t flying in the air from one end to the other or are getting beaten down to pulp.

For the first time in the last five years there hasn’t even been a case that Salman’s shirt isn’t ripping off from no rhyme or reason. For the first time in the last five years there hasn’t even been any over the top comic antics or hamming in a Salman Khan film. If one only counts all this, Ek Tha Tiger makes for a refreshing change.

The never before teaming of Salman Khan and Yash Raj Films has surely worked for the actor as he has this time around made an attempt to please both classes and masses. Producer Aditya Chopra takes over the mantle of story writing for Ek Tha Tiger and infuses a romantic plot in a spy thriller while Kabir Khan executes his story in a very slick and international manner. And the credit goes to the two for bringing a complete departure from the mediocrity that Salman’s films had slipped into.

One cannot say that the story is flawless, almost every twist in the film is predictable at least 3-4 scenes before it actually happens, but one surely cannot take away the credibility of having a sensible plot that not only glorifies Salman’s heroism but also makes for a decent watch. Director Kabir Khan extracts brilliant performance from Salman. He brings out a very endearing and charming romantic side of Salman and some of the vulnerable moments of being a secret service agent are also essayed brilliantly.

The credit also goes to Kabir for giving only as much screen time to Katrina which doesn’t make you frown over her but one expression. As for the rest of the cast, both Girish Karnad as Tiger’s boss and Ranvir Shorey as Gopi, Tigers colleague, do a decent job.

What works most for ETT is the slick action. There are as many as three full blown international style action sequences, two of them being chase sequences, which definitely are India’s answer to any Hollywood action film. The usage of a body double for Salman, however, could’ve been more cleverly executed as in some scenes it becomes very easy to point out that it isn’t Salman executing the stunts.

ETT has been shot against some of the unseen and unexplored locations of Istanbul, Cuba, Dublin etc and full marks to cinematographer Aseem Mishra for beautifully capturing these locations. As for the music, except Mashallah composed by Sajid-Wajid, the other two songs namely Banjaara and Lapata composed by Sohail Sen don’t quite please as much.

To sum it up, Ek Tha Tiger is a complete shift from the over the top Salman Khan films yet celebrates his heroism in a very international manner. If you leave aside the predictability of the plot, the film makes for a decently entertaining watch. I rate this film 3 stars!

By Swati Rohatgi