We thought of 5 plot ideas on how 'Tiger v/s Pathaan' can be reimagined in the YRF Spy Universe

The last 24 hours have been rather crazy, at least when it comes to developments surrounding the YRF Spy Universe. From a report suggesting the big film planned for later, Tiger vs Pathaan, is now shelved, to another report suggesting that the film is not shelved by any means but instead being reimagined entirely. That shift is reportedly rooted in Aditya Chopra taking the call purely to avoid fatigue with the concept and repetition. So, one wonders what are indeed the potential ways that the YRF Spy Universe can go with now that they are indeed planning to reimagine things especially with two of the biggest selling points, Tiger and Pathaan, and their apparent face-off.

I dissected and pondered on the possibilities keeping in mind the many practical factors, logistics and of course, the universe's strengths and some weaknesses as well.

Cannot Just Be Tiger and Pathaan – New Face Needed

One realises that the War series and the soon-to-come Alpha are obviously a part of this spy universe but here we are talking about Tiger vs Pathaan being planned in a way that might take at least the next two years to come into fruition. We then have two films and another potential film entering the universe before this. The smart way to go about planning Tiger vs Pathaan is establishing new characters that become the bigger selling points and bring gravitas to the proceedings apart from two aged spies. Sure, you will have Alia Bhatt and Sharvari giving the young blood energy but the dire need for the universe is to establish another younger face in this series that carries presence to Tiger and Pathaan in the storyline where Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan can distribute the heavy lifting.

There is cinematic thrill in watching legacy figures hold their own, but it is exponentially richer when legacy meets legacy-in-making. What the YRF Spy Universe really needs is not just to rely on a nostalgia trip but a passage baton moment, where younger agents command the room not just with agility and flair but also narrative importance. Think of it as injecting new cells into a time-tested body, creating both continuity and disruption.

Respect the Age and Limitations While Not Compromising on the Mass

As fit, agile and healthy as both Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan are and even will be about three or four years later as well, what one cannot avoid is the fact that by the time Tiger vs Pathaan gets into throttle, these men would potentially be 63 or 64 years old. To ridicule this and not acknowledge the limitations surrounding it is convenient but not fair. You have ample examples today as to how ageing megastars can always be presented with the larger than life treatment their fans demand and want while also playing their age and infusing it into the screenplay in a smart, sleek and endearing manner while being entertaining and massy.

We have seen Indian cinema’s attempts to build around the “wise veteran” as a narrative device, but Tiger vs Pathaan has a unique opportunity to amplify that without ever dulling the star power. Let the stunts be fewer but the impact higher. Let the chases be slower but the tension tighter. Let the action be grounded in exhaustion, not invincibility. There is something far more epic about a battle that is won despite ageing bones and weathered minds than one with just flying fists and generic gunfights.

Make It Personal – in Several Ways

The whole idea of having one villain who is ready to destroy the world and two heroes trying to save it is literally the most repetitive thing in the world and needs the revamp more than other things, especially in this YRF Spy Universe. Often, we see the lack of an emotional conflict taking over the action and scale but that can be rectified here. The possibilities are endless. We can see the possible deaths of Zoya or Rubina which leads to a blame game between them on who is responsible for whose death or so on. A personal battle driven by love, vengeance, misinformation and fury – sounds delicious, does it not?

Emotion is the secret sauce that has eluded many an Indian spy thriller. The minute a gunfight is driven by heartbreak or a mission is triggered by betrayal, the stakes become universal. The interpersonal tug of war, especially when built between two iconic characters and their respective partners, can open the floodgates of narrative density. It is not just about who wins the fight but what is lost in the battle. Imagine the quiet moments between chaos, the broken dialogues amidst the loudest explosions and the irreversible damage caused by emotional misfires rather than physical bullets. That is the real climax fans would remember.

A Probable Post Spy World?

If we have an assumption that Tiger vs Pathaan is the culmination of the YRF Spy Universe and the endgame of things, so how do you make sure you do not go the Avengers way and have one mega formidable villain against the Avengers-like line up of YRF spies against it? Because in essence, that is done and dusted, is it not? One probable way would be imaging a spyless world where RAW has disbanded, ISI has collapsed and the likes of Tiger and Pathaan are just rogue ex agents trying to survive. Here, the villain is not the enemy but it is obsolescence. And rising above these immense odds would be our very able Tiger and Pathaan as we see an assemblage of all the former spies as well from corners of the world trying to make sense of things around them.

Now that is subversion served ice cold. To make the grand finale not about ultimate victory but about existential reckoning is bold, risky and incredibly timely. The post spy world is one where the heroes do not save the day but attempt to understand what their existence even meant to begin with. Were they pawns or players? Were they nation savers or political instruments? That philosophical dimension could bring gravitas the franchise desperately needs at this point. Let the conflict be internalised and world weary, let it be tragic and transcendent. After all, what is more heroic than relevance reclaimed?

Rashomon Structure: Three Versions – Tiger's, Pathaan's and the Villain's – But Whose Truth Wins?

I am a huge fan of the Rashomon effect in filmmaking when done smartly and effectively. The same scene being played out from different perspectives is the kind of wild innovation that trips the universe on its head entirely. It is a non linear puzzle when the high stakes mission here unfolds thrice – Tiger perhaps sees betrayal, Pathaan perhaps sees manipulation and the villain perhaps sees chaos by design. You are wondering how every scene, every motivation and every fact that they think they knew. In the final act, we see timelines converging, revealing the real story and a twist that reshapes everything. Well, that is masala and intrigue that we would love to see.

This narrative device, if executed with precision, could be the one that elevates Tiger vs Pathaan from a high budget spectacle to a cerebral, layered epic. Each retelling could highlight not just different events but different psychologies. One that probes memory, perspective, ethics and most importantly, intent. Was the betrayal real or a misreading? Was the mission a sham or sabotage? Did the villain orchestrate or merely predict? And in that final twist, when the puzzle fits into place, the audience would have experienced not just a climax but a revelation.

Conclusion

Now these are just the many possibilities that the YRF Spy Universe can go ahead with especially with Tiger and Pathaan, their apparent face off, their apparent bromance and so much more to uncover. One also needs to understand that by the time this film does go on floors, we would have seen more spy universe and overall spy versus bad guy films in abundance. Times would have changed further, things would have evolved and with ageing megastars, the ideal way to move forward is with emotions, grit and raw connect blended with some masala, madness and of course, the natural screen aura of two of our most beloved superstars of the country, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan.