Ek Tha Tiger (transl. Once there was a tiger) is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language action thriller film directed and co-written by Kabir Khan, with a story from and produced by Aditya Chopra. It is the first installment in the Tiger franchise and the first film in the YRF Spy Universe, and stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad, Roshan Seth, and Gavie Chahal. In Ek Ta Tiger, Tiger, an Indian spy, is tasked with recovering information before it is gained by Pakistan, but is sidetracked after falling in love with Zoya, a girl with a dark secret.
Ek Tha Tiger is the third collaboration between Kabir Khan and Yash Raj Films, after he directed Kabul Express (2006) and New York (2009). The film’s production was extensive; the script underwent several re-writes, and production was delayed for a number of years prior to commencing in 2011. Ek Tha Tiger was filmed mostly in India, Cuba, Turkey, Ireland and Thailand, while the music was composed primarily by Sohail Sen. Initially slated for a June 2012 release, it eventually opened in theatres on August 15, 2012.
The film received generally mixed reviews, with praise for its action, music, and performances of its leads, while there was some criticism for its inconsistent tone. It set numerous box-office records during its theatrical run, grossing 320 crore (US$42 million) worldwide. It was the highest-grossing Indian film of 2012, and is the 100th highest-grossing Indian film of all time, unadjusted for inflation. It also set the record for the highest-grossing domestic opening weekend with 57.9 crore (US$7.7 million), a record it held for three years. The film won for Best Special Effects at the 14th IIFA Awards and received six People’s Choice Award nominations, and won five, including for Best Film, Best Actor and Best Actress for Khan and Kaif.