Kabir Khan on working with Salman Khan in Ek Tha Tiger: 'There was a lot of tussle between us'
Kabir Khan revealed creative clashes with Salman Khan during Ek Tha Tiger, which helped shape their hit Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
Last Updated: 09.31 AM, May 07, 2025
Salman Khan and Kabir Khan's 2012 smash hit Ek Tha Tiger presented unique hurdles, which the filmmaker has now discussed publicly. Their subsequent huge hit, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, was built on the collaboration's initial conflicts, as Kabir remembered in an interview with India TV.
First for Salman Khan and Yash Raj Films
As well as being the filmmaker's first film with Salman, Ek Tha Tiger was the superstar's first foray into the world of Yash Raj Films. There were many creative disagreements because the project had big expectations in terms of scope and story.
Even though it was only his third film in the industry, Kabir (watch Phantom) explained that he was dealing with Salman at his peak. He mentioned that there was a lot of churning due to the superstar's first collaboration with Yash Raj Films, the action genre being new territory for him, and their efforts to make the film international.
Occasionally, Kabir had to drag Salman (watch Antim: The Final Truth) down to prevent him from going overboard, and on other occasions, he was trying to motivate the filmmaker to do more. Not every conversation was cordial; in fact, there were a few conversations that caused one of the two to pout. Despite Kabir's lack of total control over Tiger, he believes that a fascinating phenomenon occurred between them—the energy they established.
Aditya Chopra's role in Kabir Khan's transition
According to Kabir, he was prodded out of his comfort zone of making documentaries and low-budget films by Aditya Chopra, who suggested he collaborate with Salman.
Aditya informed him, "Kabir, making a film with a big star is a different beast and a different kind of film altogether, and I feel that you can now step up to that." Then they wrote Tiger. Just because Salman was in it didn't make him feel pressured to accomplish anything in particular. The storyteller in Kabir wanted to do things a specific way because he had faith in the superstar's abilities. He admitted that having a superstar like Salman in front of him and knowing he can pull off all these stunts makes fan service a little bit more noticeable.
Ek Tha Tiger helped deepen their understanding of each other, which, according to Kabir, was crucial in producing their critically acclaimed and commercially successful film, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, the result of their original creative disagreement.
Success of Ek Tha Tiger
The first instalment in the YRF Spy Universe, Ek Tha Tiger (2012), had an ensemble cast that included Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Roshan Seth, Girish Karnad, and Gavie Chahal. The film became one of the highest-grossing of that year after earning ₹320 crore globally.
My Melbourne is an anthology that features four stories based on real-life experiences that examine issues of diversity, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and disability. Kabir Khan recently directed one of the segments for the anthology. On March 14, the film was released in India. He has not yet revealed the name of his next film project.
Salman Khan's upcoming projects
On the other hand, Sikandar, which Salman Khan was last seen in, was produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and directed by AR Murugadoss. The action entertainer failed to live up to expectations, grossing a total of ₹184.89 crore worldwide, despite all the hype. Currently, the superstar is preparing to star alongside Sanjay Dutt in another action flick, and he also has Kick 2 in the works, produced by Nadiadwala once again.