Tiger Zinda Hai () is a 2017 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar based on a story by Zafar and Neelesh Misra. It is produced by Aditya Chopra under Yash Raj Films. The film is a sequel to Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and is the second instalment in the YRF Spy Universe. The film stars Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif reprising their roles from the predecessor. The film takes place place after the events of Ek Tha Tiger in which Tiger and Zoya come out of hiding to save nurses held hostage by a terrorist organisation called ISC in Iraq.
A sequel was conceived following the success of the Ek Tha Tiger, however faced a number of delays after the writer and director of the first film Kabir Khan refused to return for a sequel. Zafar was subsequently hired as the writer and director. The story is inspired from the 2014 abduction of Indian nurses by ISIL. Production begun for the film in 2016, and filming was concluded by 2017. Filming locations include Abu Dhabi, Austria, Greece, and Morocco. Made on a budget of , the film was one of the most expensive Hindi films ever made at time of its release.
Tiger Zinda Hai was theatrically released worldwide by Yash Raj Films on 22 December 2017.
The film received positive reviews from critics.
Similar to its predecessor, the film set numerous box-office records during its theatrical run, grossing over worldwide, becoming the 14th highest-grossing Indian film. It also set the record for highest opening weekend for a Hindi-language film, with . At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, the film won for Best Action.
Plot
In November 2017, 8 years after the events of Ek Tha Tiger, an American journalist is killed by the ISC, a terrorist organisation, in Iraq, while attempting to report their recent activities to the CIA. During a rally in Ikrit, their leader, Abu Usman, is shot by the Iraqi Army and is taken to the local hospital, which also serves as a training center for Indian and Pakistani nurses. Usman orders a heightened ISC presence around him for security, causing the CIA to prepare an airstrike on the hospital. During this, Maria, an Indian nurse, secretly calls the Indian Ambassador to Iraq and informs him about Indian and Pakistani nurses being held hostage; the CIA tells RAW chief Shenoy that he has seven days to rescue the nurses before the airstrike is ordered.
Avinash Singh "Tiger" Rathore and Zoya Humaimi-Rathore, now married with a son Junior, live in hiding in Innsbruck. Shenoy and Karan Rao, a RAW agent, locate and inform Tiger and Zoya about the hostages. Despite initial reluctance, Tiger accepts after Zoya's insistence. Tiger goes to Syria with his select team of RAW agents: Azaan, an expert sniper, Namit, a bomb disposal expert and a hacker named Rakesh. They travel to Iraq and pose themselves as illegal migrant workers for an oil refinery run by Tohbaan, an Indian sympathiser to the ISC and Amir Baghdawi, Usman's second-in-command. Tiger meets his handler named Pawan in Ikrit to gather supplies, but they are forced to rescue Hassan, a child suicide bomber sent by Usman.
Pawan is shot by the ISC in the ensuing fallout and Tiger narrowly escapes with the unexpected arrival of Zoya. The couple decides that ISI and RAW should work together to save the nurses. Later that night, Tiger and his team set a controlled explosion in the refinery and fake burns so they are taken to the hospital. Tiger learns that Tohbaan is actually Firdaus, an undercover RAW agent, tasked by Shenoy to spy on Tiger and his team. Tiger and Zoya agree to simultaneous, coordinated attacks against the ISC. Zoya goes undercover and is eventually recruited by Baghdawi, who keeps female slaves. On the day of the airstrike, Zoya manages to kill Baghdawi. At the hospital, Rakesh poisons food the migrant workers are tasked to cook for the ISC.
Tiger's crew eventually succeeds in eliminating the majority of the ISC armies, but Azaan dies in the conflict. Tiger finds Zoya captured by Usman in the boiler room and surrenders. Tiger is initially tortured but stabs Usman (who manages to escape) and tries to free Zoya while the nurses are rescued by RAW and ISI. Firdaus eventually kills Usman as the hospital is blown up in the American airstrike. A year later (2018), on 15 August, Shenoy is called by Tiger from Greece. Having adopted Hassan, Tiger informs him that his family has returned to hiding, knowing that RAW and ISI would not leave them in peace. However, Tiger assures Shenoy that he will be there to serve his country.