Amid 'War 2' buzz Kabir Khan calls Salman Khan's Tiger 'heartbeat' of YRF Spy Universe as 'Ek Tha Tiger' completes 13 years since release

Salman Khan's Tiger from the film 'Ek Tha Tiger' was the one who kicked off the entire YRF Spy Universe franchise, similar to how 'Iron Man,' starring Robert Downey Jr., gave rise to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While 'War 2,' which is the sixth installment, is currently running successfully in theaters, 'Ek Tha Tiger' has completed 13 years since its release. Filmmaker Kabir Khan took to Instagram to share a heartfelt note on this special occasion.Here's a closer look.Filmmaker Kabir Khan took to Instagram to share photos from 'Ek Tha Tiger' as the film turned 13. He also penned a long note on how it all started with his film starring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif in the lead. Kabir wrote, "Tiger… Tiger… Tiger… 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."The director added that the story of two spies caught between duty and love has evolved into a massive cinematic universe featuring "high-octane action, global intrigue, and deeply human emotions."Kabir expressed his gratitude towards producer Aditya Chopra for giving him the platform to make a movie like 'Ek Tha Tiger.' The caption further read, "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, a statement that Indian storytelling could blend scale, style, and soul on an international canvas. And I’m so happy that I was able to deliver."Kabir didn't stop there, as he called Salman Khan's Tiger the soul of the franchise. He wrote, "What also makes ETT unique is the fact that we were able to deliver that level of action without much VFX support. The realness shows. The Spyverse continues to thrill audiences. Ek Tha Tiger was the first heartbeat of a franchise that changed the rules of the game. It was also my first collaboration with @beingsalmankhan—a collaboration that would go on to create films I will always be very proud of."The film featured Salman Khan as Tiger and Katrina Kaif as Zoya. Released on August 15, 2012, the movie went on to become a huge blockbuster.