01 March,2020 07:29 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Tiger Shroff Picture Courtesy: YouTube
Actors in the Hindi film industry are often recognised only after people have seen their debuts, stardom may or may not follow. Tiger Shroff is a rare exception! Even before tryst with Bollywood happened, he became someone to watch out for. Trained and awarded a black belt in Taekwondo, his videos began to get viral on social media that displayed his impressive and intriguing athleticism.
A factoid before we proceed, he also trained Aamir Khan for his role in Dhoom 3! Right from his first film, Heropanti, which came out in 2014, he knew what he had to rely on to stay and survive in an industry that's known for making and breaking careers overnight. What he was panned for in terms of presence and performance, he made it up for with his nifty skills and body movements. The man could dance like a dream and fight like a warrior. He was the newest action star on the block.
He's gearing up for the release of Baaghi 3 on March 6, which has already made it to the list of one of the most anticipated films of the year, so it would be appropriate to look back at some of his most impressive set-pieces:
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The success of Heropanti made way for a film called Baaghi, and little did Shroff and the makers know this would be turned into a franchise resting entirely on the testosterone of its leading man. It wasn't a great film, but what stood out was that 20-minute climax where our hero Ronnie battled an army of villains in a 10-storey building without pausing for breath or blink. Shroff was visibly exhausted as he punched and plummeted one henchman after another, but there was a genuine thrill to watch this hand-to-hand combat that's clearly missing in movies today or not being exploited and executed the way it deserves.
The failure of A Flying Jatt and Munna Michael gave a severe setback to Shroff's clout, which is why it was wise for him to return as Ronnie in Baaghi 2, and this time, in a darker and more dangerous world. Just like the first one, the action was kept for the climax, at least the most mammoth one. It was an island that happened to be the den of the villain. Ronnie had to eliminate each one of them before getting his hands on his nemesis. The scale was higher and the set-up bigger, and Shroff was in full Rambo mode, firing guns, displaying his rock-solid abs, and exploding helicopters. The monstrous success of the sequel only paved way for Baaghi 3, which is now only a few days away from its release.
In what remains his most compelling film, Siddharth Anand's War was his most humane character yet. Khalid was filled with both valour and vulnerability, and he could weep as easily as he could wallop the daylights out of his enemies. In what remains his best introduction scene, he smashes a glass window and begins fighting a group of smugglers by smartly and swiftly using his hands, legs, the property around him, and even a chandelier. Anand captured the scene in a single shot and refused to add background music to elevate its thrill. For the first time, a star's heroism was amplified simply on the grounds of his skills and not the score.
Even though we have only seen some glimpses of what will unfold in Syria on March 6, the trailer has already made it clear Ronnie has to fight an entire country as the conflict turns a lot more personal. More than Ronnie, Shroff would be channeling his Rambo to save his brother from the clutches of the villains. The set-up is reminiscent of the second film of the franchise, but the mere sight of Shroff standing atop a half-demolished helicopter is enough to give us an idea of the extent and expansiveness of the destruction that's about to happen very soon.
The actor has Heropanti 2, The Rambo Remake coming up. And it's highly unlikely for him to bid adieu to the Baaghi franchise just as easily. The only questions his fans and critics have for him are- How bigger can his action-mode get? How more infallible and indestructible a hero can be? And what's left for him to demolish or destroy? More than executing the action, the greatest challenge for Shroff and his makers would be to answer these questions!
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