Ek Tha Tiger
wogma rating: Watch if you have nothing better to do (?)
An action romance which is less action, more romance. A little less buffoonery, a little more story. A little less Salman than we expect, a little more Katrina than we expect. Ek Tha Tiger ends up being a regular love story with a national angle and will in all likelihood be underwhelming for the fans.
Read more
Ek Tha Tiger - Preview
Here comes the mandatory, annual, Salman Khan, Eid release. The one which Salmaniacs can swoon over and instantly convert into a commercial success. Content doesn't matter. Oh, I am sorry, Salman Khan is the content, none else is needed. What do story-lovers like me do? We place our hope in director, Kabir Khan who gave us a memorable, Kabul Express.
But all hope wanes as you take a look at the numerous songs, the standard music, and the oh-so typical 'choreography'. You can see it is going to be all about Salman Khan, all over again and a little about Katrina Kaif. With some mumbo-jumbo thrown in about their love and their love for the country. And yes, that it will be Yash-Raj-ified – which actually can take it in either direction, but again very little hope of even Yash Raj meddling with the Salman Khan brand name.
I have come very close to accepting that this is how the state of Salman films are going to be, no matter who the writer or director. Irrespective of any of the other people involved, Salman films are for him and his followers. There is nothing more to it. We should just remain grateful that they at least bothered people to do these other jobs instead of Salman doing it all. Enjoy!
Music Reviews:
Milliblog - "not a tiger – only a cat"
Music Aloud – "5.5/10"
dunkdaft - "This is perhaps the weakest soundtrack YRF has ever produced"
Bollywood Hungama – "3.5/5"
Bollyspice – "3.5/5"
Apun Ka Choice – "4/5"
Happy Sing - "this Tiger is going to rock"
- meeta, a part of the audience
I love it when a film shows most of what is covered in the promos in the first few minutes of the film. That means they haven’t given away too much and I have a lot of new stuff to look forward to. But, of course, I shouldn’t have begun to hope because the twists of Ek Tha Tiger are clear from a mile away. The rest of the story is just another love story, this once, masked under the guise of feuding nations, instead of feuding families. The ‘message’ being of international peace.
Thankfully, the message isn’t drilled down in preachy dialogue. Yet, the dialogue isn’t what one is used to in a Salman film - oozing of style and filminess. Not that that makes the dialogue subtle or likeable. It is just plain lines trying their best to make an impact. Unsuccessfully.
This failure has nothing to do with Salman Khan’s usual lack of emotion in dialogue. Nor does it have anything to do with Katrina’s reversion to lifeless dialogue delivery (which is sad to watch.) The writing just doesn’t carry that kind of weight or charm. Every time, you think there might be a decent ‘moment’ coming up, you are let down by something very ordinary. The heart vs. brain dilemma or even the interesting crossroads that India and Pakistan’s intelligence agencies find themselves in is a very thin thread to hook your interest on.
But hey, what do you need any of that for when you have two of the best-looking people in the industry filling every frame of the screen. Interestingly, Ek Tha Tiger, unlike most Salman films or even action films, gives the lead lady a lot to play with and a lot more screen time. A welcome change, however wasted it might have been rendered by Katrina Kaif’s emotionless, heavily made up, facial muscles - almost as if she was directed to match Salman’s attempt at acting.
The songs too have very little Salman about them. They look and sound like any other regular masala flick. Except for ‘mashaallah’ which you have to wait for until the end credits.
The question then remains – should they have attempted to have a coherent story when they didn’t intend to make anything substantial, impactful or entertaining about it? Or should they have simply stuck to what Salman Khan fans enjoy best - mindless action.
The action too is more or less lackluster, except for the chase sequence in the climax. Seeing a woman in a Hindi film do cat-like moves is entertaining, alright. But, of course, they had to go ahead and spoil it by some awful use of what looks like green screen and shoddy post-production work.
Ek Tha Tiger is an underwhelming experience for a neutral party like me. But going by the fact that I heard almost all dialogue and none of it died down with whistles and cheers tells me that would be a fan’s take too.
Oh yes, ladies, you do get a glimpse of a shirtless Salman Khan. Fine, gents too.
- meeta, a part of the audience
Thumbs up, by Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama : ...a high-octane thriller that works big time. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Keyrun Rao, Bollywood Life : ...The film talks about peace, love and friendship, all without being preachy or sanctimonious.... full review
Thumbs up, Buzz in Town : ...While witty and funny dialogues keep you entertained, fine cinematography adds to your movie experience.... full review
Thumbs up, Daily Bhaskar : ...Reviewing a Salman Khan film is like ironing a pair of jeans: really, what’s the point.... full review
Thumbs up, by Ankur Pathak, Desi Martini : ...Growling Kat, Roaring Tiger... full review
Thumbs up, by Rony D'Costa, Desi Martini : ...S for Tiger... full review
Thumbs up, by Yusuf Poonawala, Desi Martini : ...Ek Hai Salman... full review
Thumbs up, by Blessy Chettiar, DNA : ...Ek Tha Tiger is an action lover’s paradise. Seconds into the film, when you’ve not even settled well in your seat, there’s cigarette ash settling down on screen in slow motion. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Aniruddha Guha, DNA : ...probably Hindi cinema’s best action film yet... full review
Thumbs up, by Rachit Gupta, Filmfare : ...This is a spy film and it needs a certain level of intelligent storytelling.... full review
Thumbs up, by Kritika Deval, fullhyd.com : ...Despite a few yawn-worthy moments here and there, the chase sequences, more than a few LOL lines, Salman's cool-as-a-cucumber spy act - all in slickly executed settings - make Ek Tha Tiger one helluvan entertainer. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Martin D'Souza, Glamsham.com : ...But with the Tiger in his den, Kabir manages to weave action with emotion to dish out an entertaining fare. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Anupama Chopra, Hindustan Times : ...It’s such a pleasure to see a Hindi film heroine not playing a damsel in distress. The action, choreographed by Markos Rounthwaite and Conrad E Palmisano, is spectacular. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Gaurav Malani, indiatimes : ...Until you realize that Ek Tha Tiger, largely, is a love story on the backdrop of an espionage thriller and not the other way round. Once we realize that, the romance track is never a hindrance... full review
Thumbs up, by Roshni Devi, koimoi : ...The plot seems stretched; unexplained loops.... full review
Thumbs up, Movie Talkies : ...a slick spy thriller with loads of stylish action... full review
Thumbs up, by Saibal Chatterjee, NDTV : ...the failsafe formula appears as enduring as Salman’s eponymous secret agent who scours the world in search of enemies of the nation and dispatches them to the devil without breaking into a sweat. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Mansha Rastogi, Now Running.com : ...Ek Tha Tiger despite its predictability and flaws is a decently made film and a sure shot winner at the box-office! Go watch the film. ... full review
Thumbs up, by Sukanya Verma, Rediff : ...Snappy, snazzy & substantial action!... full review
Thumbs up, by Ruchi Mehta, Roochster : ... it’s not a superhit film for me but I was entertained throughout and I think Salman should do more films like this.... full review
Thumbs up, by Sonia Chopra, Sify Movies : ...Rest assured, this is the kind of film that doesn’t get into the high or low-brow argument. It’s a simple story, told with conviction and with enough star-value and action to keep everyone happy.... full review
Thumbs up, by K N Gupta, SmasHits.com : ...Director Kabir Khan succeeds in making a good entertainer as a masala thriller espionage story.... full review
Thumbs up, by Meena Iyer, Times of India : ...ETT is no Dabangg, Ready or Bodyguard. It's more evolved, less chalu( read entertaining.) Salman`isms' are rationed... full review
So-So, by Aparajita Ghosh, Apun Ka Choice : ...The first meetings between Tiger and Zoya are written well, but truth be told, a real spark of passion is missing between Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif.... full review
So-So, by Kshitij, Desi Martini : ...Expected more but not all that bad!... full review
So-So, by Rajeev Masand, IBN Live : ...far from unwatchable ... full review
So-So, by Shubhra Gupta, indian express : ...so overwhelming is the Bhai’s past aura that serious keeps threatening to slide into silly, and the moment you give in to that in-between space, the film becomes something you can enjoy. Most of the time. ... full review
So-So, Indicine : ...Ek Tha Tiger is for Salman Khan fans....As for the rest, it’s neither a intelligent film nor does it provide the necessary ‘thrill’. The story, eventually, turned out to be the biggest disappointment.... full review
So-So, by Janhvi Samant, MiD DAY : ...Salman mostly sleepwalks through the entire film. The stunt man's omnipresent and the computer graphics to cover him up are really shoddy. ... full review
So-So, by Karan Anshuman, Mumbai Mirror : ...The first 20 minutes of Ek Tha Tiger makes for a case for the arrival of India’s action thriller of global standards; a huge a step up for a 100 crore-club aspirant... full review
So-So, by Raja Sen, Rediff : ...It could have been snappier, and the girl could have been much better, but the film should be applauded for giving us a non-sleepwalking Salman, and enough genuine bang for our buck.... full review
Thumbs down, by Anna Vetticad, annavetticadgoes2themovies : ...Ek Tha Tiger is neither here nor there. It’s neither this nor that. It’s not an all-out action film, nor is it a heart-wrenching romance.... full review
Thumbs down, by Bobby Sing, Bobby Talks Cinema.com : ...that brings me to a conclusion about our Indian Cinema wherein talented directors such as Kabir Khan easily bow down in front of the STAR ENIGMA and make a film which really doesn’t seem to be representing their own vision of film-making.... full review
Thumbs down, by Shalu Dhyani, Bolly Spice : ...Since the screenplay is not engaging enough, the loopholes in the story itself become more apparent. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Khalid Mohamed, Deccan Chronicle : ...No Salmangiri here; His 'sophisticated' and 'cool' look does not work... full review
Thumbs down, by Ameetbhuvan, Desi Martini : ...Barely tolerable... full review
Thumbs down, by Deepa Deosthalee, Film Impressions : ...Meanwhile there are nagging memories of another cold turkey (oh, by the way, part of ETT was shot in Turkey) called The Tourist, featuring Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie and no story.... full review
Thumbs down, by Trisha Gupta, FirstPost : ... the least annoying Salman Khan movie in ages.... full review
Thumbs down, by Divya Solgama, Gomolo.in : ...when it comes to story line or mass entertainment it’s a huge let-down. ... full review
Thumbs down, by Fatema H Kagalwala, India Entertainment : ...So we have Salman jump, run race, shoot, scale and in between romance his girl across three gorgeous continents and that is supposed to suffice. Well.... full review
Thumbs down, by Sanjukta Sharma, Live Mint : ...An apology of a spy... full review
Thumbs down, by Mr Care, Upper Stall : ...While slightly more deserving than it’s predecessors, it’s lack of character almost makes you wish for their campiness and over the top flavor... full review
Thumbs down, by Kunal Guha, yahoo! India : ...Sadly, forcing a love story in it makes this concoction too lethal to consume.... full review
Thumbs down, by Gayatri Sankar, Zee News : ...thoroughly disappointing... full review
zentiafan: Must watch guyz @kabirkhankk nice direction and brilliant hollywood type film @Ek tha tiger
thediva_1: Ek Tha Tiger was fantastic! I have no idea why it got so much negative feedback. Honestly, one of Salman's finest films. :)
teeejal: I've watched Ek Tha Tiger twice. #ilikethatmovie.
SwapniLMalhotrA: Saw "Ek Tha Tiger" movie today. #SalmanKhan fans must see. Typical his style & some hardcore #action » #boll http://instagr.am/p/OZ6HPIL-1u/
sondhi08: Just watched ek tha tiger great movie 10/10 .
shreejayraj: ek tha tiger hit hit. super hit
Shingadesachin: Ek tha tiger movie is best.
saumilrulez: Ek tha tiger was a full pakage with proper amt of action,romance and comedy.... Its really good...
Sami_Julianna: Ek tha tiger best movie ever....my favorite actors katrina kaif and salman khan..whos urs @PaulaAbdul
Salman_love2: Ek Tha Tiger is the film that i will watch again with my family.
SajidRauf: Ek tha Tiger! Superb!
ROCKSTAR27D: EK THA TIGER iz mindblowing, fablous movie....salman khan rockzz
purplemoments84: Ek tha tiger - just loved the movie
prettyktm: Miss Every Thing But Don't Miss TIGER SALMAN KHAN In Action. Watch EK THA TIGER...Pretty
premchandc: I rated Ek Tha Tiger 8/10 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2016894 #IMDb
preet_kr: Omg the action in Ek Tha Tiger was sooo hott @BeingSalmanKhan.... Ahhhhh EPIC!!!! ♥
pradosh_hota: "Ek Tha Tiger" - Mashaallaha!
pavchahal: After Dabanng this is the only Salman Khan starrer I have enjoyed! Ek Tha Tiger is definitely worth a watch! Great chemistry with Katrina 2!
NirjraD: ek tha tiger amazing movie..................<3<3<3
Nav_Chaudhry: Salman khan ...... Ek tha Tiger rocked!!!
MYHEARTSK: Tiger Tiger Tiger Oh my tiger @BeingSalmanKhan I Love You :-) Mwaaaaaaaaah I loved ek tha tiger Mwaaah :-)
littlekoolangel: I just watched Ek Tha Tiger and @beingsalmankhan was just AMAZING! :) bohot maza aya yaaaaaar
lalmanoher: Very nice movie ek tha tiger
khantigers: Ek tha tiger rockkkkkss
kartikajumadi: Ek Tha Tiger --» Awesome, Great Movie !! You must see it !! Two thumbs up for indian movie ☺
kaminijhagru: saw ek tha tiger, best hindi stunt movie.love it to the core.well done job by salman and kat
Kablewala: Ek Tha Tiger is big entertainment all the way. Salman's charisma works full on. Music though is weak except Sajid Wajid's Mashallah.
jonasforever_7: Saw Ek Tha Tiger @BeingSalmanKhan it's your best yet after Hum Saath Saath Hain of course =)
Jeet_sharma: Ek tha TIGER. GR8 MOVIE. I. M loving it
JagsKG: Our commentary probably pissed the whole cinema hall off but oh well! But loved EK THA TIGER!! @JivanMann - let's go BRAZILLLLLL!
i_am_shreya: Watched d movie ek tha tiger...super hit movie...I enjoyed d movie...may b coz it was starring my favorite actor Salman Khan.. :-)
HeartwinHR: Ek tha Tiger is rocksssss...ek dum zhaakaaaas
gRv17: Ek tha Tiger a superhit in disguise. . . .
farogh_a: 1) Saw Ek Tha Tiger today.. Story is one of a kind!! A visually stunning film with powerful performances by Salman & Katrina.. LOVED IT !!
elkay48977748: EK THA TIGER IS A FILM WITH A CLEAR MESSAGE LOVE HAS NO BOUNDARIES , LETS APPRECIATE IT GUYS
dilshani_manori: Ek tha tiger great .. ppl go watch it .. da best movie ... Salman khan yu rock .. :)
Dabangg2_: Ek Tha Tiger 3 baar nahi dekhi toh phir kya dekha!!!!!! go and watch minimum 3 times :)
bollywood_forum: New Thread: Ek Tha Tiger is paisa vasool entertainer! http://dlvr.it/216d5d #bollywood
BollyBrit: Ek Tha Tiger totally rocked. A bit far fetched but Salman was suitably restrained and Katrina was good too. An eminently watchable film.
arvindsrk: ek tha tiger is a clean film!! wid a little draggin firsthalf..watch it as a movie not as a salman khan movie..ull enjoy it !!
anubhavsoni17: Ek tha tiger is best movie and salman khan is the best:::
Angel_Shah5: EK THA TIGER was SUPER!!! .. Loved it
amitkukreja7: The best film of the year ek tha tiger l love action of these film i like salman & katrina jodi
AmanpreetD: loved Ek Tha Tiger another wonderful movie @BeingSalmanKhan
AlishbaSingh: Ek Tha Tiger wit my daddy :) <3 #ILoveMyDaddy #BondingTime #Fun #GoodMovie
akshata2488: Ek Tha Tiger....Awesome Movie...Salman Khan Roxx...
adityadev47: Ek tha tiger is sooper dooper hit and boom bastic film
xemram: Damn Whats with every person that saw Ek tha Tiger thinking its a super hit. I mean the movie was good….but it could've been way better
vikashs14166219: ek tha tiger is time pass movie
MathurKanikaa: 'Ek Tha Tiger' is like any other Salman Khan movie. The only good thing was nice locations. Very average movie.
gohilgirish: Watched ek tha tiger....its an average movie.... could have been better....kat looking gorgeous
AshokaHolla: I cd spot bits & pieces of 'Bourne Identity', 'From Paris with love' in 'Ek Tha Tiger'...The film isn't bad but not good either...
amathur_: So ek tha tiger was okayish but the interval session was most important with amazing snacks and drinks. #ekthatiger http://twitter.com/amathur_/status/236204715438915584/photo/1
Tanuj_tj: Dear Salmaan sir ... Being human u shud send me my all money back which were spent on Ek tha tiger Tickets !!!
SudhirU: Questions troubling mankind: Is heaven for real? Will Curiosity find life on Mars? and how on earth Ek Tha Tiger can be a super hit movie?
soyeb_patel: THANK GOD :)) Ek Tha Tiger. so there is no sequel!
singhcd: Ek Tha Tiger -(Cont.)2.D film is a sub-par product frm Kabir Khan(director) as its less intelligent dan his earlier efforts,while its (cont)
Shivrajshibu: ek tha tiger ....expected alot.... but it fel short ..
sawrin7: Ek tha tiger---- wat a disappointment
rrege1203: Ek tha tiger is such a fucked up movie. You are brain dead within the first 10 mins of the running time.
RKrajcell: ( EK THA TIGER ) IS BHULAKAR TYPE MOVIE. THE MAKER OF MOVIE WAS CONFUCED TO MAKE LOVE STORY OR STUNT MOVIE.
nikhild40: Ek Tha Tiger was a dumb movie @IndianProbz #indianprobz
mujjufraaz: ek tha tiger is bakwas film
karthikforlife: Finally, pak did something sensible. Pak censor board 'bans' Salman's Ek Tha Tiger http://toi.in/3Q8PWZ
jumsumhena: Thank GOD that SRK rejected Ek Tha Tiger. what a pathetic excuse for a film but its right up lallu's street. mindless bheja fry material
jreshu: Ek Tha Tiger bonkus :'(
iamAVJ: Better watch GOW2 than ek tha tiger... Faltu movie..
GunnerVini: Ek Tha Tiger. LOL. #Waste
GautamDev: Statistics show that every year brings a great movie. Every decade a great musical. And every week some crap like Jism2 and Ek Tha Tiger.
Desiigirl8: I still can't get over the fact that Ek Tha Tiger got 32 crore...#ughhhhh
DailyDominic: Ek Tha Tiger !! Hurry up and go extinct so there is no sequel!
bikrchoudhary: ek tha tiger boaring movie.... :((
AshokSasidharan: Watched 'Ek Tha Tiger' tonite..Went in expecting a fast paced action/comedy but turned out to be more of a dull romantic story #EkThaTiger
Ashok_speaks: Ek tha tiger, Kidhar, we tried to figure, No seeti, No thod-phod, Par picture kamaayegaa sou karod! - Morning time pass!
AliAfgun: Ek Tha Tiger is a sick film (y)
abbas_haiderr: So cool and wise of Pakistan to ban Ek Tha Tiger in their country. Unlucky us.
This page has additional observations, other than the ones noted in the main review.
Parental Guidance:
- Violence: Lots of it, and some of it is brutal too.
- Language: Clean
- Nudity & Sexual content: A few skimpily clad women every now and then. And ofcourse, a shirtless Salman Khan for about 1-2 seconds.
- Concept: Love triumphs all. And what are India and Pakistan fighting about, by the way?
- General Look and Feel: Bright sprinkled with enough dull moments.
![[Facebook page of Ek Tha Tiger]](/static/images/icons/facebook_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Twitter account of Ek Tha Tiger]](/static/images/icons/twitter_small.png){kind=icon}
![[YouTube channel of Ek Tha Tiger]](/static/images/icons/youtube_small.png){kind=icon}
![[Wikipedia page of Ek Tha Tiger]](/static/images/icons/wiki_small.png){kind=icon}
![[IMDB Page of Ek Tha Tiger]](/static/images/icons/imdb_small.png){kind=icon}
Comments (21)
So what's Salman Khan supposed to be in this movie? Some kind of supercop/superspy? I've seen the promo for the music video where Katrina Kaif (who is stunning, though I question her taste in men!) is drumming wearing a kilt and a loosened necktie while Salman Khan stalks around her and pretends it's dancing.
Everybody in our (admittedly Caucasian and American) Bollywood film group can't stand him, and think he comes off as abusive to women - who are his fans, anyway?
Sadly, the worth of the film does not even matter. That it will be a major hit, we all know. On the other hand, films like Udaan are declared a flop at the Box Office.
And "Thumbs Up"? I have clearly stated that I am "Not interested in watching" this film. Do take care of this error.
"Seeing a woman in a Hindi film do cat-like moves is entertaining, alright" - That was one of the major 'plus' sequences for me :P
@Meetu : Tell me dear lady,being a neutral(i mean a non Salman fanatic),should i watch it at a theatre?Or should i rather wait for the DVD?
meetu: I think movie's second half is watchable.
The movie was pretty good. No real story, but it kept you engrossed. They could have done with shorter songs, especially the Cuba one. The ending was a little tame for the kind of action we saw throughout the movie. But loved the movie overall anyway.
Here is how Salamaniacs should perceive if they might get disappointed after watching d movie , the film title refers to a major concern about Tigers being getting extinct from Indian jungles , the movie was released on 15 august Independence day just to support dis cause Ek Tha Tiger .
Good review.. may be I will still go ahead and watch it for Salman and Katrina
With Salman Khan having on the screen, it was without any doubt that the film is a super entertainment dosage, and with so much of expectations, thankfully it served its purpose and fulfilled the hopes and beliefs of the 'Aam Janta - The Mango People'. It’s a treat for Salman Khan’s fans and a strongly recommended for all the moviegoers. On the whole, Ek Tha Tiger is a sure-shot
@TimLiebe The rest of the world, dear sir, the rest of the world.
@Rahul sorry about the glitch. Will try to get it fixed asap.
@Harsh :)
@Anuj wait for the DVD for sure.
@Jake true - second half has a little more action than the first one.
@Lil cool!
@guddu ha ha ha ha
@Farida thank you! :D
That movie is awesome & loving to see salman katrina together,Now its all proven that salman is full masala himself.
Hated it...
I was not supposed to watch anyways, but got confused by some very favorable reviews...
Another romantic film! I am still waiting for a real espionage thriller from Bollywood... & enough of this Indo-Pak love stories... yes I got the point, Bollywood means well but there are other things you can talk about...
Saw some people praising Katrina's stunts... I'm sure it was some stuntwoman who will never be known...
It is one of the worst movie of salman in recent times after Bodyguard.
@Meetu - argh! None of us get Salman Khan's appeal - and we'd like to see Katrina Kaif in more movies he's <b><i>not</i></b> in. We all enjoyed MERE BROTHER KI DULHAM, even while knowing the story's A Mile Wide and An Inch Deep - and we thought ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA was one of the more all-around satisfying <i>masala</i> we've seen recently.
@Jitaditya i'm sure it was a stuntwoman, but still a woman character getting those stunts looked cooler than usual ;)
@Salim :) yes sir!
@TimELiebe Agree! :D
I am surprised by the review. As someone who isnt a fan of bollywood films because they all lack imagination or originality, i found the film engaging and enjoyable. Its not a work of art but the production shows high standards. I dont know why the action scenes are questioned, they are easily some of the best from bpllywood- the chase at the start, the shop and tram sequence in ireland, the couple being chased through the streets and roofs in Cuba, in addition to the final fight sequence, all were excellent. Also pleased the film was only 2 hours 10 mins. Really left you wanting more! Go watch it!
Most overrated film, though smart then other Salman films
But seriously it didnt really make sense
The worst part was the scene where Salman stops a train from clash with his jacket it was so stupid
Even the climax wasnt too convincing
Overall decent
Direction: 2
Story: 2
Lead Actors: 3
Character Artists: 1.5
Dialogues: 1
Screenplay: 1.5
Music Director: 1.5
Lyrics: 1
didnt you realise that salman's body double was used in most stunts?
@Silvan of course, and Katrina too. :)
Leave a Comment