Is Emraan Hashmi the antagonist opposite Salman Khan in Tiger 3?

Emraan Hashmi Picture Courtesy: Yogen Shah

In 2012, Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif came together for the action potboiler Ek Tha Tiger that turned into a love story post interval. In 2017, they reunited for the sequel, Tiger Zinda Hai, where their mission was to save a group of nurses held captive by a bunch of terrorists.

Now, Khan and Kaif are coming together again for Tiger 3 and this time, the villain is expected to be none other than Emraan Hashmi. A source told Times of India, " YRF felt that Emraan fits the role to the T. He is a fine, intense actor and that quality won him the role."

The third film of the franchise will be directed by Band Baaja Baaraat and Fan fame, Maneesh Sharma. Salman Khan has wrapped up two films, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai and Antim: The Final Truth, in the new normal. But the third project may be more demanding, given its lavish scale. The superstar was to kick off Tiger 3, the third instalment in his successful Tiger franchise, in March. While director Maneesh Sharma intends to stick to the timeline, he may have to tweak his plans - the espionage thriller, which was to originally go on floors in the UAE, is expected to now roll in Istanbul.

Producer Aditya Chopra has apparently done a rethink about the location due to the surge in COVID-19 cases in the emirates. A trade source reveals, "Having ensured that the pre-production began last December, Adi wants to begin the film on schedule. Since the UAE is witnessing a spike in cases, Maneesh and he are now discussing the possibility of heading to Istanbul first and wrapping up the required portions with Salman, who has given his bulk dates from March."

The producer has sent a team to Turkey for a quick recce. "The Yash Raj Films' production team, which had gone to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Pathan's recce last month, stayed on for Tiger 3. Simultaneously, another batch is scouting for locations in the Turkish city. The director-producer duo will take a final call basis the feedback of these teams."