Kabir Khan Celebrates 13 Years of 'Ek Tha Tiger,' Calls It the 'First Heartbeat' of the YRF Spy Universe
Filmmaker Kabir Khan is celebrating a major milestone today as his blockbuster film, Ek Tha Tiger, completes 13 years since its release. In a heartfelt post, the director reflected on the film's enduring legacy, not just as a box office giant but as the foundational stone of the now-sprawling YRF Spy Universe.

Taking to social media, Kabir Khan shared a series of behind-the-scenes pictures from the set, recalling the film's groundbreaking impact. He wrote, "Thirteen years ago, Ek Tha Tiger with the megastars @beingsalmankhan and @katrinakaif roared into cinemas with the biggest opening in Indian cinema at that time, not just as a blockbuster romance-thriller, but as the spark that ignited what would become the now-famous YRF Spyverse."
Khan's note paid tribute to the film's central characters, Indian RAW agent Tiger and Pakistani ISI agent Zoya, and their story of love caught between duty and borders. He credited the film as the "first heartbeat of a franchise that changed the rules of the game," which has since evolved to include cinematic hits like Tiger Zinda Hai, War, and Pathaan.
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The director also gave a special shout-out to producer Aditya Chopra, expressing his immense gratitude. "I will always be indebted to Aditya Chopra, who gave me a massive platform because he wanted Ek Tha Tiger to be a genre-defining leap for Hindi cinema," Khan stated. "He wanted a film that could blend scale, style, and soul on an international canvas. And I'm so happy that I was able to deliver."
A unique aspect of the film, which Khan highlighted in his post, was its reliance on "real action" with minimal VFX. He noted that this approach gave the action sequences a sense of "realness" that continues to stand out in a landscape now dominated by computer-generated imagery. The film's record-breaking opening and subsequent success cemented Salman Khan's character as the face of the spy universe, a role the director called the "heartbeat of the franchise."
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Khan's note paid tribute to the film's central characters, Indian RAW agent Tiger and Pakistani ISI agent Zoya, and their story of love caught between duty and borders. He credited the film as the "first heartbeat of a franchise that changed the rules of the game," which has since evolved to include cinematic hits like Tiger Zinda Hai, War, and Pathaan.
Also Read:
A unique aspect of the film, which Khan highlighted in his post, was its reliance on "real action" with minimal VFX. He noted that this approach gave the action sequences a sense of "realness" that continues to stand out in a landscape now dominated by computer-generated imagery. The film's record-breaking opening and subsequent success cemented Salman Khan's character as the face of the spy universe, a role the director called the "heartbeat of the franchise."
As the YRF Spy Universe continues to expand with new chapters, including the upcoming War 2, Kabir Khan's nostalgic post reminds fans of where it all began: with a love story that transcended borders and an action film that pushed the boundaries of Indian cinema.
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