New Delhi: ‘Pathaan’, starring Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan, became a huge commercial success. Months after its theatrical release, former R&AW Chief Vikram Sood stated he would prefer not to waste time watching the spy thriller.
Bollywood spy films, in Sood’s opinion, should be entertaining while remaining realistic. However, he said that he liked Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger and recommended the one movie as an example of how spy films had to be done. In an interview with The Ranveer Show, from which an excerpt was posted on Reddit, Vikram Sood expressed disappointment with films like ‘Pathaan’ and said, “I think we haven’t got the art to do this. They could do better. They can be realistic, these are not realistic.”
“You are trying to make a James Bond movie which is also not realistic. Then you have this story of the ISI girl and a R&AW man living happily ever after…take a break yaar (laughs). The whole atmospheric…I haven’t seen Pathaan and I won’t see it because I don’t think it is… its not an accurate depiction. Why to waste my time!” he added.
He also referred to Salman’s other popular film, ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’, but couldn’t recollect its title. “Salman Khan going under a tunnel to Pakistan to deliver a girl who got left in India. Theek hai yaar. Thoda exaggerate… You have to have entertainment which is fun and realistic.”
John Abraham and Dimple Kapadia both appeared in the Siddharth Anand-helmed film ‘Pathaan’. John portrayed the movie’s main antagonist, an ex-R&AW agent who goes rogue. Shah Rukh Khan made his comeback to the big screen with the movie, which came out on January 25, 2023, after a four-year absence. Shah Rukh Khan will return with ‘Jawan’ in September, while Salman Khan will make his comeback with ‘Tiger 3’ this year.