'Tiger Zinda Hai' review: Salman Khan and action film fans will walk out impressed

Film legend Manoj Kumar was once asked to describe the guiding principle behind the success of a pan-India Hindi blockbuster. He said, "A Hindi film is like an Indian thali, which offers and fulfils almost all key expectations of a food connoisseur."

In recent years, one director who has impressively captured the essence of this is Ali Abbas Zafar. Right from Gunday to Sultan, his films have honoured the tradition of presenting visual moral tales with melodramatic and epic structure narratives.

His latest, Tiger Zinda Hai, is another addition to this. Tiger (Khan) and Zoya (Kaif), RAW and Pakistani ISI agents respectively, embark on a joint mission to rescue nurses of Indian and Pakistani origins who have been held hostage by a terrorist leader Abu Usman (Delfrooz).



What unfolds is a tale similar to your grandmother's bedtime stories — one that defies logic but is suffused with values of brotherhood, humanity and peace. This applies to the dialogues too. When asked how Tiger would deal with a large army approaching to kill them, he says, "Ghabarao mat Tiger abhi zinda hai (don't panic, Tiger is still alive)."

What works for Tiger Zinda Hai is the beauty of its structure and pace, which reduces the burden on the performances. The film is an engaging action-thriller, largely due to the exceptional skills of its cinematographer Marcin Laskawiec and editor Rameshwar S Bhagat.

Kaif puts up a commendable performance, especially in her action sequences where she looks like a trained secret service agent. Even Khan, with his understated approach to his role, fits the character well. With it being a long holiday weekend, it looks like Tiger Zinda Hai will live it up at the box office.