Tiger 3, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan: A look at Salman Khan's best performances

Salman Khan once famously said he could be caught doing everything but not acting. Untrue. Khan was always a star, but there’s an actor in him that brims with vulnerability that were seen in some of his most successful films like Sultan, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Tere Naam, and now Tiger 3. There are a lot more names- Khamoshi, Jaan-E-Mann, and even the restrained Phir Milenge.

Good thing the first three names from above came after the industry and fans’ obsession with numbers and records since they combined both commercial success and critical validation. Talking of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Khan had a killer of a narrative and the immensely adorable Harshaali Malhotra on his back, and he embarked on an emotional roller-coaster to drop the girl back home and carry the film to blockbuster status, and success.

In Sultan, he was carrying the weight of his haunting past on his shoulders instead of an angelic girl. It could only be eased once he redeemed himself, and the redemption begins and ends inside a cage. The man is a wrestler, and physical wounds are his only means to emotional healing. Khan was heroic and helpless at once, a blend fantastically done by director Ali Abbas Zafar.

In Tere Naam, he was a character people would stay away from, but he would still find you and hunt you down. His name was Radhe, but he was no God, he was a devilish college student who has a soft spot for a young and innocent girl. The love story was tragic, but also thoroughly memorable.

And now comes Tiger 3, the third part of the Tiger franchise. It all began in 2012 and we are in 2013. It has only been 11 years here, but for him and his lady love and wife Zoya, they have been through every hurdle (and hell) possible. From RAW and ISI in part one to a dreaded terrorist in the sequel to an old enemy in part three, what’s left to explore! But Khan continues to get softer as the franchise goes forward. But he also knows when to pick up a gun or twist a neck, when to stop being Avinash Singh Rathore and when to start being Salman Khan.

Salman Khan is the OG spy of Bollywood. The superstar has begun the spy universe and indeed garnered immense love from the audience in this genre. With Tiger 3, the audience saw Salman Khan performing some Daredevil action that had never been seen before. While the superstar pulled off emotional scenes very brilliantly, he also made the audience laugh and was indeed impressed with his OG Tiger swag. While we as an audience have seen the superstar giving many amazing performances, Tiger 3 is worth counting as the best performance of his career so far.

Moreover, it’s the charm of Salman Khan that has worked and made the audience stay hooked till the last scene. The film gave Salman Khan the biggest opener of his career. The fans are hailing the superstar for his performance. The fans are flooding the social media while showering their love for the superstar. While the film also saw the cameo of Shah Rukh Khan as Pathaan, it wasn’t able to leave its impact on the audience.

The hugely anticipated Tiger 3 features Salman Khan in the lead alongside Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi. The film, helmed by Maneesh Sharma, was released in cinemas on November 12th, 2023, in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu.