YRF Spy Universe

YRF Spy Universe
Official logo
Created by	Aditya Chopra
Original work	Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
Owner	Yash Raj Films
Years	2012–present
Print publications
Comics	Ek Tha Tiger: Saving The High Seas (2012) Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web (2012)
Films and television
Film(s)	Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) War (2019) Pathaan (2023) Tiger 3 (2023) War 2 (2025)
Games
Video game(s)	Ek Tha Tiger (2012) Tiger The Bhai (2012) Being SalMan: The Official Game (2016)
Audio
Soundtrack(s)	Ek Tha Tiger Tiger Zinda Hai War Pathaan Tiger 3 War 2
Original music	"Ghungroo" "Besharam Rang" "Jhoome Jo Pathaan"
Miscellaneous
Budget	Total (6 films): est. ₹1205–1305 crore
Box office	Total (6 films): est. ₹3194.97–3242.75 crore

YRF Spy Universe is an Indian media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of spy action films, which feature various fictional R&AW agents. The first three films in the universe - Ek Tha Tiger (2012), Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and War (2019) - were released as standalone films before the universe was established through Pathaan (2023) after the success of War. The franchise also includes comic books, graphic novels and video games. The films are created, produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films.

Overview

The first film Ek Tha Tiger (2012) directed by Kabir Khan was centered on a fictional RAW agent named Avinash Singh Rathore alias Tiger played by Salman Khan. This was followed by its sequels Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) directed by Ali Abbas Zafar and the fifth film in the universe Tiger 3 (2023) directed by Maneesh Sharma. The third film War (2019) directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff was released as a standalone film with no connection to the Tiger films. The universe was created when Aditya Chopra and Siddharth Anand decided to connect the three films and create a shared universe through crossovers with characters and connecting plot lines. The fourth installment Pathaan (2023), also directed by Anand, starring Shah Rukh Khan, was the first film in the universe to feature characters from the previous films. The sixth installment War 2 (2025), directed by Ayan Mukerji, continues the storyline established in War.

Films

Released films

Title	Release date	Director	Producer	Screenwriter(s)
Ek Tha Tiger	15 August 2012	Kabir Khan	Aditya Chopra	Kabir Khan Neelesh Misra Aditya Chopra
Tiger Zinda Hai	22 December 2017	Ali Abbas Zafar		Ali Abbas Zafar Neelesh Misra
War	2 October 2019	Siddharth Anand		Shridhar Raghavan Siddharth Anand Aditya Chopra Abbas Tyrewala
Pathaan	25 January 2023			Shridhar Raghavan Siddharth Anand Abbas Tyrewala
Tiger 3	12 November 2023	Maneesh Sharma		Shridhar Raghavan Aditya Chopra Anckur Chaudhry
War 2	14 August 2025	Ayan Mukerji		Shridhar Raghavan Aditya Chopra Abbas Tyrewala

Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Main article: Ek Tha Tiger

RAW agent Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore, is sent to Dublin to observe an Indian scientist who is suspected of sharing nuclear secrets with the ISI. He meets and falls for his caretaker Zoya Nazar, a girl with a dark past.

Ek Tha Tiger is the first instalment of the shared universe and was released on 15 August 2012 worldwide. The film earned ₹325 crore worldwide against a budget of ₹75 crore, becoming one of the highest-grossing Bollywood films by international gross.

Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)

Main article: Tiger Zinda Hai

Tiger and Zoya rejoin forces with RAW and ISI in order to rescue a group of nurses, who are held hostage by ISC, an Iraqi terrorist organisation headed by Abu Usman.

Tiger Zinda Hai is the second instalment of the shared universe, and is based on true incidents that happened in 2014 the abduction of Indian nurses by ISIL. Tiger Zinda Hai was released on 22 December 2017 and made a new non-holiday record in India as it collected ₹34.1 crore nett on its first day. It went on to collect ₹35.30 crores gross on the second day. The film recorded the second-highest day of all time. It netted Rs 154 crore in its first four days in India. The film grossed ₹565 crore worldwide becoming one of the highest-grossing Indian film. At the 63rd Filmfare Awards, it won for Best Action.

War (2019)

Main article: War (2019 film)

Major Kabir Dhaliwal, a former soldier and a skilled agent, goes rogue after a mission to catch a terrorist named Rizwan Ilyasi goes awry. However, his boss sends Khalid, another soldier and Kabir's student to track him down.

War is the third installment of the shared universe, which was commissioned after the success of the previous films, and was directed by Siddharth Anand, starring Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor in lead roles. It was released on 2 October 2019, coinciding with the Gandhi Jayanti. Proving to be similarly successful to the first entry in the series, the film emerged as a huge box office success, becoming the highest-grossing Bollywood film of 2019 and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.

Pathaan (2023)

Main article: Pathaan (film)

Pathaan, an exiled RAW agent is assigned to take down Jim, a former RAW agent-turned-leader of "Outfit X", a private terror organization that is planning to spread a deadly lab-generated virus dubbed "Raktbeej" across India.

Pathaan is the fourth installment in the shared universe directed by Siddharth Anand, and the first spy universe film to feature a mid-credits scene. The film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in the lead roles. Salman Khan reprises his role as Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore in a cameo appearance. It was made on a budget of Template:Indian rupee250 crore, and was a major commercial success, making it the highest-grossing film in the universe.

Tiger 3 (2023)

Main article: Tiger 3

Tiger and Zoya must go on a life-threatening crusade to clear their names after they are framed as traitors by Aatish Rehman, an ex-ISI agent turned terrorist with a personal vendetta against Tiger.

Tiger 3 is the fifth installment of the shared universe and sequel to Tiger Zinda Hai. It features Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif, reprising their eponymous roles of Tiger and Zoya, with Emraan Hashmi playing the antagonist. Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan reprise their roles as Pathaan and Major Kabir Dhaliwal in cameo appearances. The film was directed by Maneesh Sharma. The music was composed by Pritam, with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil and Amitabh Bhattacharya. It was made on a budget on Template:Indian rupee300 crore, making it the second most expensive film in the universe, behind War 2.

War 2 (2025)

Main article: War 2 (film)

Kabir Dhaliwal, a former RAW agent, who, after going rogue, becomes a major threat to national security, and a special units officer, Vikram Chelapathi, is assigned to neutralize him.

War 2 is the sixth installment of the shared universe and sequel to War. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, who reprises his role, with N. T. Rama Rao Jr, Kiara Advani and Anil Kapoor with Bobby Deol in a cameo appearance. Principal photography commenced in October 2023. The film was directed by Ayan Mukerji, replacing Siddharth Anand. Made on a budget of ₹400 crore, it is the most expensive film in the universe. It was theatrically released worldwide on 14 August 2025.

Upcoming films

Title	Release date	Director	Producer	Screenwriter(s)	Status
Alpha	10 July 2026	Shiv Rawail	Aditya Chopra	Shridhar Raghavan Shiv Rawail Ishita Moitra	Post-production
Pathaan 2	TBA	TBA		TBA	In development
Tiger vs Pathaan		Siddharth Anand

Alpha (2026)

The seventh installment of the shared universe and first female-led film in the universe was announced in July 2024, titled Alpha. Directed by Shiv Rawail, the film stars Alia Bhatt, Sharvari, Bobby Deol and Anil Kapoor, with Hrithik Roshan reprising his role as Kabir in a cameo appearance. Principal photography commenced in July 2024. It was initially scheduled for release on 25 December 2025 but was postponed to 17 April 2026 for post-production work. Alpha was postponed again due to the Salman Khan starrer Battle of Galwan taking its second release date. The film is now scheduled for a theatrical release on 10 July 2026.

Pathaan 2

The eighth installment of the shared universe and sequel to Pathaan was announced in February 2024. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will reprise their roles as Pathaan and Rubai.

Tiger vs Pathaan

In 2021, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were rumored to star together for a film. In December 2021, Salman Khan confirmed the rumors. In April 2023, the ninth installment of the shared universe Tiger vs Pathaan was announced. It will be directed by Siddharth Anand and both will reprise their roles as Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore and Pathaan.

Cast

Character(s)	Actor	Films
		Ek Tha Tiger (2012)	Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)	War (2019)	Pathaan (2023)	Tiger 3 (2023)	War 2 (2025)	Alpha (2026)
Avinash "Tiger" Singh Rathore	Salman Khan	Main			Guest	Main
Kabir Dhaliwal	Hrithik Roshan			Main		Guest	Main	Guest
Pathaan	Shah Rukh Khan				Main	Guest
Vikram "Raghu" Chelapathi	N. T. Rama Rao Jr.						Main
Zoya Nazar	Katrina Kaif	Main				Main
Naina Sahni	Vaani Kapoor			Main			Flashback
Rubai Mohsin	Deepika Padukone				Main
Kavya Luthra	Kiara Advani						Main
TBA	Alia Bhatt							Main
TBA	Sharvari Wagh							Main
Khalid Rahmani / Saurabh	Tiger Shroff			Main			Flashback
Jim	John Abraham				Main
Aatish Rehman	Emraan Hashmi					Main
TBA	Bobby Deol						Guest	Main
Vikrant Kaul	Anil Kapoor						Main
Ajit Shenoy	Girish Karnad	Supporting
Sunil Luthra	Ashutosh Rana			Supporting		Guest	Supporting
Nandini Grewal	Dimple Kapadia				Supporting
Maithili Menon	Revathi					Supporting
Nasreen Irani	Simran					Supporting
Gopi Arya	Ranvir Shorey	Supporting				Supporting
Firdaus	Paresh Rawal		Supporting
Abrar Sheikh	Gavie Chahal	Supporting				Supporting
Rakesh	Kumud Mishra		Supporting			Supporting
Karan Rao	Anant Vidhaat Sharma		Supporting			Supporting
Nikhil	Chandrachoor Rai					Supporting
Javed Baig	Danish Bhat		Supporting			Supporting
Azaan Akbar	Paresh Pahuja		Supporting			Flashback
Namit Khanna	Angad Bedi		Supporting			Flashback
Poorna	Anupriya Goenka		Supporting
Aditi Nahta				Supporting
Shweta Bajaj	Ekta Kaul				Supporting
Raza	Shaji Choudhary				Supporting
Joseph Mathews	Diganta Hazarika				Supporting
Rishi Arya	Viraf Patel				Supporting
Amol	Aakash Bhatija				Supporting
Nafisa Rahmani	Soni Razdan			Supporting			Guest
Hassan Ali	Jineet Rath		Supporting			Flashback
	Vishal Jethwa					Supporting
Junior	Sartaaj Kakkar		Supporting			Supporting
Abu Usman	Sajjad Delafrooz		Supporting
Gautam Gulati	K. C. Shankar						Supporting
Vilasrao Sarang	Varun Badola						Supporting
Karan	Karan Kishore						Supporting
Imroz	Imroz Maur						Supporting
Ruhi Sahni	Dishita Sehgal			Supporting
	Arista Mehta						Supporting
TBA	Dibyendu Bhattacharya							Supporting

Characters

Tiger

Main article: Tiger (YRF Spy Universe)

Tiger
YRF Spy Universe character
Tiger in Tiger 3 (2023)
First appearance	Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
First game	Ek Tha Tiger
Last appearance	Tiger 3 (2023)
Created by	Aditya Chopra Kabir Khan Neelesh Misra
Portrayed by	Salman Khan
In-universe information
Full name	Avinash Singh Rathore
Alias	Manish Chandra
Nickname	Tiger
Gender	Male
Occupation	R&AW agent
Affiliation	Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)
Significant other	Zoya
Children	Hassan (adopted son, deceased) Junior (son)
Nationality	Indian

Avinash Singh Rathore, known by his codename Tiger, is a RAW agent, portrayed by Salman Khan. The character is first introduced in Ek Tha Tiger, and is reprised in the sequels Tiger Zinda Hai and Tiger 3. Tiger is married to Zoya, another spy, and they have a son named Junior. He also makes a notable appearance in Pathaan (2023). Tiger is one of the three main agents in the universe, alongside Pathaan and Kabir.

Zoya

Zoya
First appearance	Ek Tha Tiger (2012)
Last appearance	Tiger 3 (2023)
Created by	Aditya Chopra Kabir Khan Neelesh Misra
Portrayed by	Katrina Kaif
In-universe information
Full name	Zoya Nazar Jung
Nickname	Zee
Gender	Female
Occupation	ISI agent
Affiliation	Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)
Significant other	Avinash Singh Rathore "Tiger"
Children	Hassan, Junior
Origin	London, England
Nationality	Pakistani

Zoya Nazar is a Pakistani ISI agent portrayed by Katrina Kaif. She defected from the ISI, after eloping with her love interest turned husband Tiger, an Indian RAW agent. However, she remains loyal to Pakistan and occasionally goes on missions to save her country from threats. She is married to Tiger and has two sons: an adopted son named Hassan, a suicide bomber whom she adopted during a mission in Iraq and a biological son named Junior.

Kabir

Kabir
Kabir in War 2 (2025)
First appearance	War (2019)
Last appearance	War 2 (2025)
Created by	Siddharth Anand Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala Aditya Chopra
Portrayed by	Hrithik Roshan
In-universe information
Full name	Kabir Dhaliwal
Gender	Male
Title	Major
Occupation	RAW agent Indian Army Major
Affiliation	Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Indian Army
Significant other	Kavya Luthra
Children	Ruhi
Home	Delhi
Nationality	Indian

Major Kabir Dhaliwal is a RAW agent and former soldier, portrayed by Hrithik Roshan. He is first introduced in War and is initially believed to have gone rogue. However, it is later revealed that he is on a covert mission to stop a terrorist organization. He is the former mentor of Khalid and Saurabh, the latter of whom turned rogue. Despite being unmarried, he is the legal guardian to Ruhi, the daughter of his deceased partner, Naina. He is one of three main agents in the universe, along with Tiger and Pathaan. He was trained by Colonel Sunil Luthra and considered him as a father figure.

In his childhood, he became an orphan and befriended a boy named Raghu. The two became pickpockets, eventually ending up in a juvenile detention centre. One day, there are visited by Luthra who motivates them to join the Army. While Kabir gets selected, Raghu does not leading to him escaping in retaliation.

In his second mission, he infiltrates the Kali, a global syndicate that aims to control the Indian government. Agent Vikram Chelapathi is assigned to eliminate him, however he learns of Vikram's true intentions and defeats him. However, he spares him and convinces him to help him finish off Kali. The two promise to work together under the shadows.

Pathaan

Pathaan
Pathaan in Pathaan (2023)
First appearance	Pathaan (2023)
Last appearance	Tiger 3 (2023)
Created by	Aditya Chopra Siddharth Anand Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala
Portrayed by	Shah Rukh Khan
In-universe information
Full name	Pathaan
Gender	Male
Occupation	R&AW agent
Affiliation	Joint Operations and Covert Research (J.O.C.R), Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW), Indian Army (former)
Significant other	Rubina Mohsin
Nationality	Indian

Pathaan is a RAW agent and former soldier portrayed by Shah Rukh Khan. He is first introduced in Pathaan (2023). In 2002, during a joint mission in Afghanistan to take down a Taliban leader, Pathaan saved the lives of 30 children and an elderly teacher (an Afghan/Pashtun) who gives him the name "Pathaan" for his bravery. He created Joint Operations and Covert Research (J.O.C.R), a sub-division of R&AW, that recruits Indian soldiers and agents who were forced to retire due to injury or emotional trauma. Rubina "Rubai" Mohsin, a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agent, is his love interest, whom he met during a mission in Spain and Moscow. He is one of the three main agents in the universe, along with Tiger and Kabir.

Jim

Jim
First appearance	Pathaan (2023)
Created by	Siddharth Anand Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala
Portrayed by	John Abraham
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Mercenary
Affiliation	Outfit X Research and Analysis Wing (RAW; former) Indian Army (former)
Nationality	Indian

Jim is the founder and leader of "Outfit X", a private terrorist organisation, portrayed by John Abraham. He is a former Indian RAW agent, who turned rogue after the Indian government refused to negotiate with Somalian terrorists in exchange for him and his pregnant wife. As a result, he faked his own death, founded Outfit X and began looking for an opportunity to take revenge on India. In 2019, Jim was hired by General Qadir of the Pakistan Army to plan a biological attack via a deadly synthetic virus on India and other parts of South Asia, locking horns with the agent Pathaan in the process. Rubina Mohsin, a Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence agent was also in his team but later turned against him and fought alongside Pathaan and his team.

Rubai

Rubina Mohsin
First appearance	Pathaan (2023)
Created by	Siddharth Anand Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala
Portrayed by	Deepika Padukone
In-universe information
Full name	Rubina Mohsin
Nickname	Rubai
Gender	Female
Occupation	ISI agent Doctor (former)
Affiliation	Inter-Service Intelligence
Significant other	Pathaan
Nationality	Pakistani

Rubina Mohsin, more commonly known by her nickname "Rubai", is a Pakistani ISI agent portrayed by Deepika Padukone. After her father was arrested and tortured, she became a doctor in Pakistan. Later she joined the ISI but defected, joining Outfit X a private terrorist organisation, but soon joined Pathaan to stop Jim from spreading a deadly virus across South Asia. Pathaan, an Indian RAW agent is her love interest, whom she had met in Spain.

Aatish

Aatish Rehman
First appearance	Tiger 3 (2023)
Created by	Maneesh Sharma Shridhar Raghavan Aditya Chopra
Portrayed by	Emraan Hashmi
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Deputy Director of ISI
Affiliation	Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI; former)
Significant other	Shaheen Baig
Nationality	Pakistani

Aatish Rehman is a former Pakistani Deputy Director of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), portrayed by Emraan Hashmi. He was a mentor to Zoya, and had in the past assigned his pregnant wife Shaheen, the task of killing an Indian General who was to sign a peace treaty with Pakistan; but his plan was ruined when she was killed by Tiger. Wanting revenge from Tiger and Zoya, he kidnaps their son Junior, and blackmails them to steal nuclear weapons codes and later frames them as traitors. He ultimately wants to bring dictatorship in Pakistan by dismissing the democratic government and assassinating the Prime Minister. His plans are later stopped by Tiger and his team.

Kavya

Kavya Luthra
First appearance	War 2 (2025)
Last appearance	–
Created by	Ayan Mukerji Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala Aditya Chopra
Portrayed by	Kiara Advani
In-universe information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Indian Air Force Wing Commander RAW agent
Affiliation	Indian Air Force Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)
Significant other	Kabir Dhaliwal
Nationality	Indian

Kavya Luthra is a Wing Commander in the Indian Air Force, played by Kiara Advani. She is the daughter of Colonel Sunil Luthra and was once the love interest of Kabir. She had proposed to Kabir but he had declined due to his commitments to RAW. After Colonel Luthra gets killed by Kabir, she wants to exact revenge, but later, after Kabir reveals his true intentions, they work together to take down Vikram. She later reconciles with Kabir.

Vikram

Vikram
Vikram in War 2 (2025)
First appearance	War 2 (2025)
Last appearance	–
Created by	Ayan Mukerji Shridhar Raghavan Abbas Tyrewala Aditya Chopra
Portrayed by	N. T. Rama Rao Jr.
In-universe information
Full name	Vikram Chelapathi
Nickname	Raghu
Gender	Male
Occupation	RAW agent Indian Army Major
Affiliation	Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Indian Army
Significant other	Kabir Dhaliwal
Nationality	Indian

Major Vikram (Raghu) Chelapathi is a RAW agent played by N. T. Rama Rao Jr. He is the childhood friend of Kabir, and had mentored him. They both became pickpockets and ended up in a juvenile detention centre. There, they are visited by Colonel Sunil Luthra who motivates them to join the Army. Vikram, however does not get selected, leading to him escaping in retaliation. He eventually joins the Army and becomes a member of Kali. His plans however are stopped by Kabir who defeats him. However, he reedems himself and helps Kabir eliminate the remaining members of the cartel. Although he is declared dead in India, he promises to work with Kabir in the shadows.

Crew

Occupation	Film
	Ek Tha Tiger (2012)	Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)	War (2019)	Pathaan (2023)	Tiger 3 (2023)	War 2 (2025)	Alpha (2026)
Director	Kabir Khan	Ali Abbas Zafar	Siddharth Anand		Maneesh Sharma	Ayan Mukerji	Shiv Rawail
Producer	Aditya Chopra
Co-Producer	–			Akshaye Widhani
Screenplay	Kabir Khan Neelesh Misra	Ali Abbas Zafar	Shridhar Raghavan Siddharth Anand	Shridhar Raghavan
Dialogues			Abbas Tyrewala		Anckur Chaudhry	Abbas Tyrewala	Ishita Moitra
Story	Aditya Chopra	Ali Abbas Zafar Neelesh Misra	Siddharth Anand Aditya Chopra	Siddharth Anand	Aditya Chopra		Shiv Rawail
Cinematography	Aseem Mishra	Marcin Laskawiec	Benjamin Jasper	Satchith Paulose	Anay Goswamy	Benjamin Jasper	Rubais
Editor	Rameshwar S. Bhagat		Aarif Sheikh		Rameshwar S. Bhagat	Aarif Sheikh
Composer	Sohail Sen Sajid-Wajid	Vishal–Shekhar			Pritam		Aaishvary Thackeray
Lyricist(s)	Neelesh Misra Anvita Dutt Kausar Munir	Irshad Kamil	Kumaar		Amitabh Bhattacharya Irshad Kamil	Amitabh Bhattacharya	TBA
Background Score	Julius Packiam		Sanchit Balhara Ankit Balhara		Tanuj Tiku	Sanchit Balhara Ankit Balhara
Costume Designers	Alvira Khan Agnihotri Ashley Rebello Arun Chauhan Anoushka Veljee	Alvira Khan Agnihotri Ashley Rebello Leepakshi Ellawadi	Anaita Shroff Adajania Niharika Jolly	Shaleena Nathani Mamta Anand Niharika Jolly	Anaita Shroff Adajania Alvira Khan Agnihotri Ashley Rebello Darshan Jalan	Anaita Shroff Adajania Niharika Jolly	Aki Narula Natasha Vohra Gunpreet Kaur Mann Deepali Singh Raseen
Action Directors	Conrad Palmisano	Tom Struthers	Paul Jennings Oh Se-Yeong Parvez Sheikh Franz Spilhaus	Casey O'Neill Craig Macrae Sunil Rodrigues	Franz Spilhaus Oh Se-Yeong Sunil Rodrigues	Spiro Razatos Franz Spilhaus Anal Arasu Oh Se-Yeong Craig Macrae Sunil Rodrigues	Craig Macrae Sunil Rodrigues
Choreographer(s)	Vaibhavi Merchant Ahmed Khan	Vaibhavi Merchant	Bosco-Caesar Tushar Kalia	Bosco-Caesar Vaibhavi Merchant	Vaibhavi Merchant	Bosco Martis	Vijay Ganguly Bosco Martis
Production Designer(s)	Sukant Panigrahy	Rajnish Hedao Snigdha Basu Sumit Basu	Rajat Poddar		Mayur Sharma	Rajat Poddar Amrita Mahal	Subrata Chakraborty Amit Ray
Executive Producer(s)	Aashish Singh	—	Padam Bhushan		Sudhanshu Kumar Sanjay Shivalkar	Sanjay Shivalkar	Padam Bhushan
Associate Producer	—	Aashish Singh	—		Rishabh Chopra
Sound Designer(s)	Debashish Mishra Dwarak Warrier	Dileep Subramaniam Ganesh Gangadharan	Pritam Das Ganesh Gangadharan	Manas Choudhary Ganesh Gangadharan	Pritam Das Ganesh Gangadharan	Dileep Subramaniam Ganesh Gangadharan	Debashish Mishra Ganesh Gangadharan
Line Producer(s)	Yogendra Mogre	Sudhanshu Kumar	Amit Tomar Gurpreet Singh	Keshav Purushot	Navmeet Singh	Gurpreet Singh	TBA
Casting Director	Shanoo Sharma

Reception

Box office performance

Each film is linked to the "Box office" section of its article.

The universe has been notable for its profit. Ek Tha Tiger and its follow-ups Tiger Zinda Hai and Tiger 3 earned a combined profit of ₹1,366.63 crore, according to International Business Times.

Film	Release date	Production budget	Box office gross revenue	Ref
Ek Tha Tiger	15 August 2012	₹75 crore (US$14.04 million)	₹335 crore (US$62.69 million)
Tiger Zinda Hai	22 December 2017	₹130 crore (US$19.96 million)	₹565 crore (US$86.76 million)
War	2 October 2019	₹170 crore (US$24.14 million)	₹475.62 crore (US$67.54 million)
Pathaan	25 January 2023	₹250 crore (US$)	₹1,050.50 crore (US$)
Tiger 3	12 November 2023	₹280 crore (US$)	₹466.63 crore (US$)
War 2	14 August 2025	₹300 crore (US$42 million)–₹400 crore (US$56 million)	₹303 crore (US$42 million)–₹351 crore (US$49 million)
Alpha	10 July 2026
Total		₹1,205 crore (US$170 million)–₹1,305 crore (US$180 million)	₹3,195.75 crore (US$450 million)–₹3,243.75 crore (US$450 million)

Critical response

Each film is linked to the "Critical response" section of its article.

Film	Rotten Tomatoes
Ek Tha Tiger	75% (5.9/10 average rating) (16 reviews)
Tiger Zinda Hai	64% (6.1/10 average rating) (14 reviews)
War	67% (5.3/10 average rating) (18 reviews)
Pathaan	82% (6.9/10 average rating) (34 reviews)
Tiger 3	52% (5.9/10 average rating) (22 reviews)
War 2	30% (5/10 average rating) (22 reviews)

Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Main article: Ek Tha Tiger

In India, there was praise for the film's feminist themes, with Marjolaine Gout noting the film is "a roaring, visual, comic feast where the damsel in distress fights back", giving Ek Tha Tiger 3.5 out of 5 stars. Anupama Chopra of the Hindustan Times also commended the feminist themes, saying "it's such a pleasure to see a Hindi film heroine not [be] a damsel in distress", while also praising the film's action sequences, giving Ek Tha Tiger 3 out of 5 stars.

Jahanavi Samant of Mid-Day gave the film the same rating and criticised its tone as being inconsistent, with "Ek Tha Tiger [being] unable to decide whether it is spy action or a love saga". Ronnie Scheib of Variety gave a positive review, praising the performances of the leads and film's production aesthetic, noting "Kaif impresses in her action-heroine debut, while Salman Khan's thinking-on-his-feet immediacy adds depth to his usual macho muscle. Local audiences will no doubt derive a special thrill from the onscreen reunion of stars Khan and Kaif, [with] Aseem Mishra's gorgeous location lensing".

Tiger Zinda Hai (2017)

Main article: Tiger Zinda Hai

Tiger Zinda Hai opened to mostly positive reviews. Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave 4.5 stars, and said "Salman is the lifeline, the real treasure of Tiger Zinda Hai. He sinks his teeth into the character and, in several sequences, peels off the mask of super-stardom and brings the actor to the fore. Katrina is in solid form, in action sequences specifically commands attention."

Lasyapriya Sundaram of The Times of India gave 3.5 stars, and said "The film is visually stunning in parts and Salman Khan plays Tiger with roaring confidence and dialogues packed with punch. Of course, his fans get a true-blue Salman Khan moment when he bares his torso." Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave 3.5 stars, and said "It may look like a Hollywood action thriller, but at its heart, Tiger Zinda Hai is an unabashed masala movie. The heady mixture of an international-looking action film and the regular tropes of Hindi cinema make it a pleasing watch."

War (2019)

Main article: War (2019 film)

Anupama Chopra said,"War is a popcorn entertainer and you can't ask too many questions but if you're willing to suspend disbelief, the twists and turns exert a solid grip." A writer for Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4 stars, and said "War is an action entertainer which has style as well as enough twists and turns to keep the viewers engrossed. At the box office, the extended weekend, dazzling action, stunning international locales and stylish execution will ensure mammoth footfalls for the film". Taran Adarsh gave it four stars out of five and called the film "[e]scapist cinema at its best".

Komal Nahta of Film Information opined, "The film could prove to be the starting of a new franchise for the Yash Raj Films banner". Writing for India TV, Sonal gave the film 3.5 stars, writing, "Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff of Abbas-Mustan kinda twists, turns, characters, situations, logic, gravity, physics, chemistry, and some Ekta Kapoor-esque tricks all tossed together to make a visually spectacular concoction".The Times of India rated it three stars out of five and felt the film had "lot of style, stunts and show, but lacking a solid storyline".

Pathaan (2023)

Main article: Pathaan (film)

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama rated the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and termed the film "complete entertainer replete with action, emotions, patriotism, humour, thrill, and of course, the star power of Shah Rukh Khan." Sukanya Verma of Rediff gave the film a rating of 4 out of 5 stars and wrote "Shah Rukh Khan's weathered intensity, grizzly charisma and trademark wit lends Pathaan's all-out, devil-may-care antics a sense of purpose that evades mindless acts of mayhem". Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and stated that the film is a "visual spectacle" and termed action choreography is "truly out of this world". Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and said that the film swings and strikes with all the "style" and "aplomb" in the world.

Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India rated the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote "Pathaan has all the ingredients of a masala potboiler — slowmo entries, iconic battle of good versus bad and most importantly a sexy-smouldering Shah Rukh Khan, who can fight the good fight on and off the screen". Himesh Mankad of Pinkvilla gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of 5 and termed it as "tentpole event film" which has right amount of action, thrill, emotion and drama.

Tiger 3 (2023)

Main article: Tiger 3

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 4/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 is the biggest dhamaka you can expect this Diwali" praised the second half and performances of Khan, Kaif and Hashmi and appreciated the cameo of Shahrukh Khan. Himesh Mankad of Pinkvilla gave the film 3.5/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 rides hugely mounted action sequences backed with power performances by Khan, Kaif and Hashmi. While pacing is an issue at some places, the core plot has enough of an emotional connect to keep you glued on the big screen. The film is an action-packed entertainer that has all the ingredients to emerge as Khan’s highest grosser till date."

Ronak Kotecha of The Times of India gave the film 3/5 stars and wrote "Tiger 3 qualifies as a good addition to the franchise with enough ammo for mass entertainment." Zinia Bandyopadhyay of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Despite an overcrowded spy universe, Tiger 3 manages to hold his own ground. Khan fans won’t be disappointed, but someone give Kaif a Zoya series pronto!"

War 2 (2025)

Main article: War 2 (film)

Dhaval Roy of The Times Of India gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, calling it "strictly watchable, only for the action and spectacle". Kusumika Das from Times Now gave the film 3 out of 5 stars. She praised the performances, action sequences, and dialogues but noted that the film struggled in the second half due to a slower pace. Vinamra Mathur of Firstpost gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and noted that the film had endless conversations and combats that barely served any purpose.

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times gave the film 2 out of 5 stars, criticising the screenplay and soundtrack, but praising the action sequences. Radhika Sharma of NDTV gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "The sequel takes the viewers on a journey to at least 10 countries, stuffing episodes from at least six of them in the post credis". Mayur Sanap of Rediff.com gave 3.5 out of 5 stars, writing "War 2 offers you exactly what you’d expect from a mass entertainer: some escapist fun, truly knockout action scenes, and overall, a good time at the movies".

Other media

Graphic novels

• A graphic novel titled Ek Tha Tiger: Mahasagar Ki Suraksha (English: Ek Tha Tiger: Saving The High Seas) was published in 2012 by Yomics. Post-release, the comic failed to generate positive word-of-mouth. Joginder Tuteja of Bollywood Hungama commended the comics' design but said that the main story failed to meet his expectations of a deeper plot, exciting narrative, and a tighter script.
• Another graphic novel named Ek Tha Tiger: Caught In The Web has been published in 2012 by Yomics, which also features some Hum Tum characters.

Games

• Ek tha Tiger and Tiger the Bhai, two action mobile video games developed by Zapak, were released as tie-ins for the 2012 film.
• Being SalMan: The Official Game, a 3D action mobile video game developed by Playizzon, was released in 2016. It featured characters portrayed by Khan, including Tiger, Chulbul Pandey from the Dabangg franchise, and Prem Dilwale from Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015).

See also

• Dhoom (film series)
• Race (film series)
• Cop Universe

External links

• YRF Spy Universe as IMDb
• YRF Spy Universe at the Encyclopædia Britannica