SRK, Salman Khan to be pitted against each other in 'Tiger vs Pathaan', set to be ‘Biggest film ever
Mumbai, Apr 6 (PTI) Superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan will be back as Pathaan and Tiger in a crossover film for Yash Raj Films' ambitious spy universe, say trade sources.
Conceptualised by YRF boss Aditya Chopra, the 'YRF Spy Universe' brings three franchises headlined by leading stars -- Salman's "Tiger" movies, Shah Rukh's "Pathaan" and Hrithik Roshan's "War" -- under one umbrella.
The studio's recent blockbuster "Pathaan" marked the beginning of the cinematic universe with a cameo by Salman as Avinash Singh Rathore aka Tiger. It also had plenty of references to Hrithik's "War" character, Kabir Dhaliwal.
Titled "Tiger vs Pathaan", the film will be directed by Siddharth Anand, who most recently helmed Shah Rukh-starrer "Pathaan", which had a guest appearance by Salman as Tiger.
The new movie, which will be an action spectacle, will showcase a ruthless face-off between the two top stars of Hindi cinema, who earlier starred together in movies such as "Karan Arjun" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai".
"Aditya Chopra has immense trust in Siddharth Anand to deliver a grand visual spectacle that has never been seen before with 'Tiger vs Pathaan'.
"Siddharth is getting a dream cast of Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan coming together for their first full fledged film since 'Karan Arjun' and Siddharth will also be given all the support he needs to mount Tiger vs Pathaan as the biggest film that India has ever produced," the trade source said.
The development comes days after reports that the studio has hired "Brahmastra" filmmaker Ayan Mukerji to direct the second installment of Hrithik's "War". It was also widely reported "RRR" star Jr NTR will feature opposite Hrithik in "War 2".
"Pathaan", which also featured Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana, was released in theatres worldwide in January. The film earned over Rs 1,000 crore at the global box office.
Salman will be back as Tiger in "Tiger 3", which will see Shah Rukh reprise the role of Pathaan. The film scheduled to hit the screens this Diwali.
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Former India hockey coach Michael Nobbs dies
Melbourne (PTI): Former Australian hockey player Michael Nobbs, who coached the Indian men's team at the 2012 London Olympics, has died after a prolonged illness.
He was 72 years old and is survived by his wife Lee Capes, a former Australian women's international and daughter Kaitlin, who is a current Hockeyroos star.
"Hockey Australia extends its deepest condolences to Michael’s family, friends, former teammates, players and all those whose lives and careers were shaped by his contribution to hockey. He will be remembered as a proud Kookaburra, a respected professional, and a servant of the sport," Hockey Australia said in a statement.
Nobbs represented Australia as a defender, playing across the half-back line and at fullback, and was renowned for his reliability, fitness and professionalism. He earned 76 international caps for Australia between 1979 and 1985, scoring one goal, and was a member of one of the strongest eras in Australian men’s hockey, said Hockey Australia on its website in its tribute.
Nobbs was an integral part of the Australian teams that competed at the 1981 Hockey World Cup in Bombay and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
While part of a generation widely regarded as one of Australia’s finest, he consistently held his place through hard work, discipline and trust earned from teammates and coaches, Hockey Australia wrote.
Nobbs took over the coaching of the Indian men's team in 2011 after it had failed to qualify for the Beijing Games in 2008. While India were brilliant in the qualifiers, the team finished last at the London extravaganza which also expedited the Australian coach's sacking.
Apart from India, Nobbs also coached Japan.
