EXCUSIVE: Tiger 3 star Katrina Kaif on different visions of directors of Tiger franchise, calls Kabir Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar her ‘close friends’

In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Katrina talked about the success of the film.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

November 18, 2023 - 4:24 PM IST

Katrina Kaif along with Salman Khan is back on the silver screen with the third installment of the Tiger franchise. With Aditya Chopra’s Tiger 3, they have reprised their iconic characters, super-agents Tiger and Zoya from the YRF Spy Universe. The film has collected Rs. 201.50 crores at the domestic box office so far. In an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama, Katrina talked about the success of the film, Maneesh Sharma coming on board as a director for the third installment and her previous experiences with Kabir Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar in the first two films of the Tiger franchise.

EXCUSIVE: Tiger 3 star Katrina Kaif on different visions of directors of Tiger franchise, calls Kabir Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar her ‘close friends’

Talking about each director and their vision, Katrina recalled working with Kabir Khan on Ek Tha Tiger and said, “Every time we were on for Tiger, it's always exciting for me to see ‘Okay, who's the director?’ Ek Tha Tiger, it was Kabir Khan. At that time and even now, he was one of my closest friends and we were just coming off doing a lot of films together. We had just done an amazing film together New York and we had an incredible rapport. So that whole experience was once in a lifetime. It was so funny because all of us in that film were such good friends, like from the assistant director to the ADs. That was a really special bond with everyone with the whole crew.”

Then, she mentioned Ali Abbas Zafar and added, “Then Tiger Zinda Hai, which happened a few years later, again, Ali Abbas Zafar, who again is one of my dearest friends. So the collaborations have been with directors and friends who I know really, really well. I think that's something which is really, really priceless in a way because they know you. So they kind of know how to mould and present you in a way.”

With Tiger 3, she got to know Maneesh Sharma, who has directed Band Baaja Baaraat and Fan. “Of course with Maneesh Sharma, who now is a dear friend of mine, but when I started the film, we didn't know each other. I think with him, what is the most beautiful thing is his passion for each character, for the uniqueness of each character. I remember constantly discussing with him and having so many discussions that he always felt and gave so much importance, felt so much interest and gave so much importance to Zoya’s character. He wanted to know what was the backstory of this character. Where did she come from? What drives her? What are the experiences she must have gone through in life which have led her to become the woman she is today, the agent she is today?” she said.

Produced by Aditya Chopra and directed by Maneesh Sharma, Tiger 3 also stars Emraan Hashmi. It released this Diwali, Sunday, November 12 in Hindi, Tamil & Telugu.