Tiger Shroff completed 10 years in Bollywood on May 23. The actor had a stunning debut and became the darling of the masses in no time. But his last three films were disasters at the box office. The debacle of his latest release, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, especially has hit him hard. As per recent reports, he is left with no film and might have to reduce his fee. Bollywood Hungama spoke to trade experts to understand what went wrong with the actor, who was considered the next superstar.
Vishek Chauhan, owner of Roopbani Cinema in Purnia, Bihar, explained, “Tiger broke out with Heropanti (2014). No one expected it to do well. A similar kind of launch happened for Sooraj Pancholi with Hero (2015). He was launched with much more fanfare than Tiger. Heropanti had a much quieter release but it managed to be a success. Baaghi (2016) was a bigger hit. Then, he was seen in A Flying Jatt (2016) and Munna Michael (2017). Though these films flopped, they opened well in single screens. With Baaghi 2 (2018), he became a star to watch out for.”
He added, “However, all these years, he didn’t grow as a performer. He kept repeating himself in film after film. An actor needs to add some value. Akshay Kumar was also introduced as an action hero. He milked it to a point and then he changed gears. Even Salman Khan shifted from romance to other genres like romcom, comedy, action, etc. These stars bring in a lot of variety. That’s why they have survived. Tiger, sadly, has not been able to do so.”
Trade veteran Taran Adarsh remarked, “When he debuted, people criticized his dialogue delivery. But the sincerity in his performance was very evident. Over the years, he started doing the same kind of roles. There’s no variation. I have said time and again that comedy is serious business. You can’t expect that just because you are doing some comedy, people are going to laugh at it. Instead, people are going to laugh at you, not on the scene, if it falters. And he faltered big time with Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. In any case, it was a terrible film and hence, its disaster fate doesn’t come as a surprise.”
Vishek Chauhan agreed, “He can’t do comedy on his own. He needs actors around him to push that side. He can’t excel in drama while he is awkward in doing romance. He can simply dance and fight well. But that has a limit. Also, the audience has rewarded him enough for his dance and fights. Baaghi did Rs. 80 crores while Baaghi 2 collected double. The latter was illogical, showing Manoj Bajpayee controlling some island in Goa! Yet, it earned Rs. 160 crores.”
He also said, “If you pick up his first film and his recent release Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, you won’t see any growth in him as an actor. As a result, the audience has lost interest in him as he is not able to score in emotions. Until you don’t show Sunny Deol type emotions in action or stir people, you won’t be able to make an impact.”
He gave examples to prove his point saying, “He’s very limited as an actor and that is what the audience is demanding from him. Look at what Ranbir Kapoor achieved in Animal (2023). Look at the emotional depth of his performance. Does Tiger Shroff have that kind of ability? That is what the audience is looking for.”
Even Hollywood stars, known for action, evolved, said Vishek, “Jason Statham came just as an action hero. But he has grown. The same goes for Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis. They grew and did comic and emotional roles, something that Tiger isn’t able to achieve.”
Taran Adarsh exulted, “He reached his peak with War (2019), where he did well and stood by himself. So, he has the potential. Also, he’s a thorough professional. I have never heard a single producer complain about him or claim that he’s unprofessional. But you are as good as your last Friday. In his case, if you give one flop, you can be pardoned. But if it’s a hattrick of flops, then there’s a problem.”
Girish Johar, producer and film business analyst, noted, “At the basic level, the script selection has gone wrong with him. The plots in his films were regular mill of the stuff. It was nothing new.” He also said that the heroines opposite him don’t have a meaty character and are shown as bimbettes. He said, “This also affects his performance. The characters around you are as critical.”
Vishek Chauhan also added, “The filmmakers with whom he’s working are also not growing. We don’t have enough directors who can make a good action film with him. Even if we make action, it is targeted at just one set of audiences. Arre poora masala banao na. Cinema needs to cater to everyone and that is missing in Bollywood. Actors like Tiger Shroff are victims of it.”
He continued, “30 years back, if he was acting, then Raj Kanwar, Rajkumar Santoshi, Darshan brothers, etc would have done justice to him. Right now, 95% of filmmakers are out of range for him.”
Course correction
Taran Adarsh explained what he can do to get back on track saying, “Tiger needs to hone his skills and craft. The audience has become very ruthless and their verdict is loud and clear. You need to change and give them variation. You can’t be flying in the air and doing acrobatic stunts in all films.”
Trade analyst Atul Mohan agreed, “He needs to reinvent himself as an actor. His look is also the same. The way he was looking on the poster of Heropanti, he looks the same in Baaghi’s poster. There’s no variety in his appearance. Hence, he needs to reinvent and do different characters. Also, his action is the same.”
Taran Adarsh suggested, “He should take a break like Amitabh Bachchan and Dilip Kumar did. Even Shah Rukh Khan took a break and he’s the mightiest of all. He was away for 4 years and look how he returned with a bang. Hence, Tiger should go on a sabbatical for a couple of months. He should not be in a hurry to sign a film or make an announcement. Some actors do that and it shows their insecurity.”
Atul Mohan complained, “He needs to change his team. Also, this trend of routing your scripts through agencies should be done away with. 20-25-year-old kids are a part of these agencies. What knowledge do they have of the scripts? Earlier, filmmakers used to simply drop on the actors’ set and narrate the film. Now, it is not possible. At times, the manager’s fifth assistant reads the script and takes the call. This is a problem not just with Tiger but many other new actors. They feel the agency is making their work simpler. No, they are not. They are ruining your career as good scripts don’t reach them.”
He also said, “Many of these actors are working with the same 3-4 filmmakers. Why is this happening? Do the other filmmakers not have stories for these actors?”
Girish Johar opined, “I would suggest that he should do away with action-based choreography. He should not do away with action. That’s a good genre that he excels in. But I want to see him in intense roles or thrillers. That would help him grow his audience. Like, I would love to see him do what Sunny Deol did in Arjun (1985). If done well, it can work big time not just in metro cities but also in tier 2 and 3 centres. He just needs the right writer and director who portray him correctly.” He also noted, “He can also follow the footsteps of John Abraham.”
Vishek Chauhan, meanwhile, unabashedly stated, “Tiger’s future lies down South. He should work with South directors and do at least four films with them. They’ll bring out his true potential and revive his career. No one in Bollywood will be able to help him.”
To conclude
As Tiger Shroff completed a decade on May 23, he should work on consolidating his position for the next 10 years, said experts. Taran Adarsh said, “It’s high time he changed.” Girish Johar said, “He has a long way to go and has the star power (to bounce back).”
Also Read: After Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff to star together in another film
