Pathaan writer says Shah Rukh Khan-Salman Khan scene was written multiple times so ‘both got to shine’

The highlight for many in recent film Pathaan is the special cameo of Salman Khan where his character Tiger comes to help out Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan at a crucial moment. The last time the two actors shared screen space was in Shah Rukh’s film Zero in 2018. Pathaan’s dialogue writer Abbas Tyrewala revealed how the scene was re-written several times to get the balance right for both the characters and actors. He shared that the scene was made in ‘a collaborative spirit’. (Also read: Shah Rukh Khan opens up about starring in Salman Khan’s Tiger)

Directed by Siddharth Anand, Pathaan features Shah Rukh as a special agent who tracks down a former rogue agent Jim, played by John Abraham, to prevent him from spreading a virus that can kill millions globally. He puts together a special unit, Joint Operation and Covert Research (JOCR), headed by Dimple Kapadia’s Nandini in order to catch him.

During one sequence when Pathaan is captured and beaten by the bad guys, Salman Khan’s Tiger makes a heroic entry to save him. While they beat up the bad guys, they also engage in some banter. Speaking about this key moment, Abbas told Bollywood Hungama, “You know when Shah Rukh and Salman are going to be on screen together as Pathaan and Tiger, it’s a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the opportunities to entertain the audience suddenly become so much more. On the other hand, you also have to be very, very careful about how you play it so that the people don’t get so caught up with Shah Rukh and Salman that they forget Pathaan and Tiger. That balance needs to be there.”

He added, “So just because Tiger is making an entry, you can’t give that whole scene away to Salman and make Shah Rukh less. But at the same time, Salman is making a special entry in Shah Rukh’s film. So, no way that you can make Salman not be an event. That has to be something that gives the thrill to the audience. So how do you balance it where Pathaan’s film stays Pathaan’s film but Tiger’s moment becomes Tiger’s moment and both get to shine?”

The writer-filmmaker revealed that the Salman-Shah Rukh scene was “written and re-written a number of times”. It all came together due the collaborative spirit between producer Aditya Chopra, director Siddharth and the actors themselves.

Pathaan was released on January 25 and also stars Deepika Padukone as a Pakistani spy Rubai. The Hindi film has earned over ₹700 crore globally. It is expected that Pathaan will return the favour and come to Tiger’s rescue when Tiger 3, directed by Maneesh Sharma, releases later this year.