It seems that the Indian film industry is finally tapping into the espionage thriller genre as three of the biggest superstars of Indian cinema are now gearing up for the release of their respective films wherein they would essay the roles of undercover agents.
While Ajith is gearing up for the release of Vivegam, the teaser of which recently took social media by storm, Mahesh Babu would be seen as a spy in SPYder, which marks his collaboration with AR Murugadoss for the first time. In Bollywood, Salman Khan will return as Tiger in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Tiger Zinda Hai.
While Hollywood is littered with espionage thrillers like James Bond and Jason Bourne franchise, the genre remains quite unexplored in India. Apart from exceptions like Jewel Thief, Johny Mera Naam, Ankhen (which were made in the late 60s and 70s), spy thrillers haven’t worked well in our country. Even the likes of Hero: The Love Story Of a Spy, Gangster and Agent Vinod, have failed to weave magic.
Now would these three films give a boost to the genre in the country? Let us first find out what do these films have to offer to the audience:
Vivegam:
The first film to release from among the three is Ajith’s Vivegam and if the film comes anywhere close to the promise it’s teaser has shown, we are in for a treat. In the film, Ajith would be seen as an Interpol officer whereas Vivek Oberoi would play a negative role. The movie is slated to release on August 24.
SPYder:
The second in the lot is SPYder. Directed by AR Murugadoss, the movie is expected to release in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. The basic premise of the film revolves around bio terrorism, however, the details of Mahesh Babu’s character have been kept under wraps. SPYder is said to be the biggest release of the year down South post-Baahubali. It will be interesting to see if the film lives up to the expectations.
Tiger Zinda Hai:
In the sequel to 2012 blockbuster, Ek Tha Tiger, Salman Khan would again be seen as a RAW agent. The film, directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, is set against the backdrop of global terrorism and the team has promised to take the action to the next level. The movie, which is touted as the biggest Bollywood release of the year, is slated to release on December 22.
In the past, films like Madras Cafe, Agent Vinod and even a lighter film like Baadshah failed to strike a chord with the Indian audience. While Baadshah managed to gain a cult following over the years on television, the others couldn’t, possibly because they weren’t mass entertainers. Given the reputation of Ajith, Mahesh Babu, and Salman Khan, one can be quite sure about the fact that apart from having an interesting content, their films would keep the audience entertained.
Also read: Fighting terrorism and more: Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s Tiger Zinda Hai is going to be bigger
With three major stars tapping into the genre, there is hope that their films are able to revive the genre with their success.
