Meet Tiger 3 director Maneesh Sharma, his last film starring Shah Rukh Khan was huge flop, he won National Award for...

Tiger 3 is among the most awaited Bollywood films of 2023. The film is set to release in theatres this Sunday, November 12 on the occasion of Diwali. Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif are reprising their roles of Tiger aka Avinash Singh Rathore and Zoya Humaimi Rathore in the threequel with Emraan Hashmi debuting in the YRF Spy Universe as the antagonist Aatish Rehman.

The first two films in the Tiger franchise, Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai were directed by Kabir Khan and Ali Abbas Zafar, respectively. For Tiger 3, the Yash Raj Films honcho Aditya Chopra handed over the directorial responsibilities to Maneesh Sharma. The spy thriller is the fifth film that he has helmed in his career, which began 17 years earlier with YRF itself.

Born and brought up in Delhi, Maneesh went to the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) to study filmmaking. After returning from there, he got his major Bollywood break when he worked as the assistant director in Aamir Khan and Kajol-starrer Fanaa (2006). He  became associate director for Aaja Nachle (2007) and Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008).

Two years later in 2010, Maneesh made his first film with Anushka Sharma and Ranveer Singh - Band Baajaa Baraat, which is counted among the quintessential Delhi films now. Next year, Maneesh directed Ranveer and Anushka again in Ladies vs Ricky Bahl. In 2013, his third film Shuddh Desi Romance, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, Parineeti Chopra, and Vaani Kapoor was released.

Maneesh had always wanted to make his dream project with the biggest superstar of the Indian cinema - Shah Rukh Khan. He had shared the basic story idea of Fan to Aditya Chopra when he had joined YRF. Aditya enisioned the film on a huge scale and guided him that he would need experience to make his passion project. In 2016, Maneesh's biggest film in his career (till then) Fan finally released in the theatres.

Starring Shah Rukh Khan in the double role of the superstar Aryan Khan and his fan Gaurav Chandna, Fan took references from Khan's life itself and was even shot inside Mannat. The action-packed thriller took an underwhelming opening, performed poorly, and even failed to recover its budget of Rs 85 crore from the domestic box office. In subsequent years, the film has gained more fans and is regarded among Shah Rukh Khan's most underrated films and his best performances.

Sharma has also produced several films independently at YRF. These include Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Meri Pyaari Bindu, Hichki, Sui Dhaaga, and Jayeshbhai Jordaar. For the 2015 film Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Maneesh even won the National Film Award for the Best Feature Film in Hindi, along with its director Sharat Katariya.

Now, after a gap of seven years, Maneesh is back with Tiger 3, touted to be the biggest film in the YRF Spy Universe uptil now. Shah Rukh Khan will reprise his role as Pathaan in a crucial cameo and Hrithik Roshan's Kabir character from War will also make an appearance in the much-awaited film.

READ | Nikhita Gandhi opens up on comparisons between Tiger 3's Leke Prabhu Ka Naam and Pathaan's Besharam Rang | Exclusive