Ek
Tha Tiger (Kabir Khan, 2012)
I
LOVED IT.
From
a cursory glance at the other reviews floating round the internet (as
usual, I am extremely late to the game seeing the dvd) it appears
that Ek Tha Tiger has been widely met with a yawn and a
resounding “meh”, lacking as it does much of the larger than life
shirt-ripping and physics-defying action of previous Sallu superhits
such as Wanted and Dabanng.
I
thoroughly enjoyed both of those films, but I enjoyed them because
they were new to me and felt fresh: now, with a lot more people
(myself included) waking up to the South Indian films that are
inspiration - when they're not sources for direct remakes - for many
of the action films coming out of Bollywood these days, I don't want
to see Sallu repeat the same Dabangg schtick over and
over.
And
of course, I was waiting the entire film for the expected “Sallu's
shirt comes off” scene – which again, in recent films, seems to
have tried to outdo itself in audacity each time. I have to confess I
actually cheered when the expected scene arrived with no gimmicky
bells or whistles this time: no over the top Hulk-like tearing, the
shirt doesn't burn itself off his body – it's blink and you'll miss
it, but it's there, satisfyingly ticking the “shirt comes off”
box in the curious checklist of tropes that make up a Salman Khan
film.
I
think that's the secret: Ek Tha Tiger is essentially a
genre film (in this case – action/romance/Salman Khan – yes, I am
including “Salman Khan” as a genre because if you have seen
enough Bollywood films, you will know that a Salman Khan film is
going to be vastly different to a...Shahrukh Khan film, for example.
The stars act as shorthand in themselves, a little bit), and it's a
genre film that strives to be good at what it is, without reinventing
itself or being too clever or tricksy with the rules. So the pleasure
lies in anticipating and recognising all the elements playing out on
screen: the mildly ridiculous action set-pieces (Sallu has to stop a
speeding train, single-handed in the middle of Dublin? Makes perfect
sense in the film);
the myriad of shakily justified exotic locations
(Istanbul, Ireland and Cuba are all kind of wedged into the script);
obviously, the aforementioned “Sallu loses his shirt” scene
(always ridiculously satisfying); for the classic Bollywood
romantics, an interrupted kiss (check; heartbreaking? Check!);
conflict between nations (and thus divided loyalties, love, duty,
patriotism, betrayal, all those great themes) reduced to a personal
level:
...and so on, and so forth.
There's
not a great deal that is new in ETT, but it's all done
well. The set-up: Salman Khan plays the eponymous Tiger, RAW agent
for India and lifelong bachelor – because how can he ever marry or
fall in love, when his whole identity is a lie, and his life is just
a series of secret missions?
You
see where this is going, right?
Tiger,
naturally, falls in love while on a mission to gather intelligence
about a Professor who might be sending sensitive information to RAW's
enemies – Pakistan's ISI agency. Zoya (Katrina Kaif) is a dance
student who is the Professor's part-time housekeeper, and pretty soon
Tiger finds himself completely smitten. THAT'S A BAD THING FOR SECRET
AGENTS.
And
answering this question is what the rest of the film is about: but
not before it takes a few twists and turns into action territory.
I'll
tell you something else: I've never been especially secretive about
my lack of enthusiasm for Katrina Kaif. But I really liked her in
this film. Apart from the fact that to my eyes, she and Sallu DO have
genuine chemistry together, it really does make a difference that her
character is more than just...a girlfriend/sex object.
Um. This is supposed to illustrate my point.
It's sad to
have to say so, but it's so refreshing to see a female character
wholly independent of the hero, who can act on her own without having
to cling to his arm or run behind him; and there are several moments
in this film where it's quite apparent that Kat's character, Zoya,
despite being in love with Tiger, can and will go it alone. I like
Kat, I think, when she has something to DO, rather than when she is
reduced to Item Girl.
She IS pretty in this film though, I was astonished to find myself actively thinking.
Also:
Ranvir Shorey: can he be in everything please?
Super hilarious. Also: is it true about him and Konkona? Because that makes me super sad.
