Apurv Shukla
Hindi Cinema has found its newest action hero in Tiger Shroff.
The 28-year-old delivered the biggest hit of his career with ‘Baaghi 2.’ It was the continuation of the ‘Baaghi’ franchise, which started in 2016. Tiger co-starred with Disha Patani and Manoj Bajpayee to deliver a high-octane revenge thriller.
‘Baaghi 2’ is an official remake of the 2016 Telugu hit ‘Kshanam’ but was a different cinematic outing to the original. It was mounted on a lavish scale for Tiger to exhibit his prowess as an action hero.
Deadly combination
The slickly-designed action stunts were a combination of martial arts and machinery warfare. Tiger played an army man and sported a short crop for the first time in his career.
What held ‘Baaghi 2’ together was an engaging story and screenplay. There were twists and turns galore that kept the viewers guessing.
The film had a popular musical score, with two recreated songs dominating the airwaves.
Jacqueline Fernandez was a reprisal of Madhuri Dixit’s iconic ‘Ek Do Teen’ number in ‘Tezaab’ and drew accolades and brickbats in equal measure. Critics were quick to pronounce Jacqueline’s Zumba-inspired dance moves as a ‘terrible let down.’ But the song succeeded in its makers’ sole aim- to draw people’s attention towards their product.
The Nadiadwala Magic
Sajid Nadiadwala, who produced ‘Baaghi,’ has played a big part in Tiger’s success. He also produced his debut film ‘Heropanti,’ and gave him a launch comparable to any big star.
‘Heropanti’ was produced and presented like a major A list movie.
Tiger has delivered all his three hits with Nadiadwala productions. Tiger is also a good dancer, and that has helped him become very popular with children. ‘Baaghi 2’ was a keenly anticipated film since its first trailer was launched. It had all the ingredients of a typical Hindi masala potboiler, packaged for today’s times and designed to attract the youth.
Promotions and publicity have become an integral part of today’s filmmaking process.
A Hindi film has to face stiff competition and create the curiosity of filmgoers. This is the meeting point where Hollywood and Indian regional cinema create excellent content.
Jackie’s Shroff
Tiger is the son of yesteryear’s superstar Jackie Shroff.
Jackie was a proud father who spoke glowingly about his son on a visit to Auckland three years ago. He said that Tiger was named ‘Jai’ when he was born. But since the child had great affinity to scratch and bite people, his name was changed to Tiger.
The success of ‘Baaghi 2’ is an example of a how a modern-day action film should appeal to the audience. After a disappointing 2017, where the majority of films flopped, 2018 has thus far been a successful year for the industry.
