Tiger franchise close to my heart says Salman Khan after Tiger 3's bumper opening

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 15 (ANI): With 'Tiger 3', superstar Salman Khan registered his career's biggest opening.

The film minted Rs 44.50 crore on the release day i.e. November 12. It has collected Rs 148.50 crore so far.

On seeing audience's abundant love for 'Tiger 3', Salman expressed his gratitude.

"I'm delighted with the response from the audience and fans for Tiger 3! They have given the film a brilliant start and I'm happy that the third part of this franchise is also scripting a success story. Tiger is a franchise that is close to my heart. So, to see it get more and more love film after film is really special. I hope the film continues to entertain audiences worldwide," he said.

Helmed by Maneesh Sharma, 'Tiger 3' also stars Katrina Kaif and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles.

'Tiger 3' is the third installment of the Tiger franchise and a part of the YRF Spy Universe with the likes of War and Pathaan. Interestingly, it also has cameo appearances of Shah Rukh Khan and a post-credit scene featuring Hrithik Roshan.

Just like the two previous installments - Ek Tha Tiger and Tiger Zinda Hai - the film focuses on a new mission involving RA&W agent Tiger (Salman) and ISI agent Zoya (Katrina Kaif).

The first part 'Ek Tha Tiger', which came in 2012, was directed by Kabir Khan. In 2017, the franchise expanded with 'Tiger Zinda Hai'. The second part was directed by Ali Abbas Zafar.

Prior to the film's release, In an interview with Variety, Salman recalled shooting the most challenging aspect of the 'Tiger 3' shoot.

He shared, "The bike chasing scene was the toughest - I think! It was a massive block of shoot and it had to be impactful so Maneesh [director Maneesh Sharma] and I discussed this at length and then collectively we all worked towards achieving this," he said during an exclusive conversation with Variety.

The actor further shared, "I quite enjoyed shooting for 'Leke Prabhu Ka Naam' in Cappadocia. It is a dance track that I personally love. Katrina and I have been fortunate to have chartbusters that have entertained people across the world and now, 'Leke Prabhu Ka Naam' is another track added to that list."

When asked what the audience can expect from his film, he told Variety, "Audiences have a connection with Tiger, they have followed his journey, they feel a connection with the characters and this time around the film is more personal, more emotional. Plus it is releasing on Diwali day, so we are hoping the audiences enjoy the fireworks on the big screen and enjoy this entertainer with their family in theatres." (ANI)