Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan's ‘Tiger v/s Pathaan’ shelved by YRF: Report

Speculation surrounding one of Bollywood’s most anticipated collaborations appears to have taken an unexpected turn. According to a Deccan Chronicle report, the much-discussed film ‘Tiger v/s Pathaan’ — which was expected to unite superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan on screen — has been shelved, at least for now, due to mounting financial concerns.

‘Tiger v/s Pathaan’ officially shelved: Reports

According to the report, the ambitious crossover project, which was planned as a major instalment in Yash Raj Films’ expanding Spy Universe, has run into budgetary challenges primarily linked to escalating star remuneration.

An informed source says, “If both the Khans had agreed to take a discount, Tiger Versus Pathaan could have been possible despite Yash Raj’s War 2 flopping. But the budgets being what they are, thanks mainly to star fees, the Spy Universe seems to have come up against a wall.”

The film had reportedly been envisioned shortly after the blockbuster success of Pathaan in 2023, with producer Aditya Chopra aiming to bring the two cinematic spies together under the direction of filmmaker Siddharth Anand.

According to the report, discussions around the project began immediately after Pathaan reignited theatrical momentum for Hindi cinema, sparking excitement among fans eager to see the crossover between Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan and Salman Khan’s Tiger characters. However, the latest developments suggest the project has stalled before entering production.

Financial feasibility has become the primary obstacle. The publication states that Yash Raj Films can’t afford to pay Shah Rukh and Salman ₹100 crore each, making the project increasingly difficult to mount at the scale originally envisioned. Industry insiders quoted in the report explained that rising production costs, combined with large-scale action requirements typical of the Spy Universe, significantly inflated the overall budget.

Internet reacts to the news

News of the reported shelving quickly sparked strong reactions across social media, where fans expressed both disappointment and debate over industry economics.

One user wrote, “Even small stars are demanding 50 crores if a film earns 400 crores in the box office. These two legend stars will expect good pay. What's wrong? (sic)”

Another reaction reflected broader concerns about Bollywood’s production scale, stating, “Wow two biggest stars in Bollywood no production house wants to invest more than 350cr max that’s the true reality... all the larger than life movies all be produced in SOUTH (sic)”.

Some fans criticised the creative direction of the franchise itself. One comment read, “If yrf had sincerely focused on making yrf spy universe properly with director who have credentials, script , & vfx as the top priority not only focused on cash grabbing star power of actor to cash on commercial aspect only yrf spy universe could have been the trend setter (sic).”

Others responded emotionally to the news, with one fan posting, “That’s heartbreaking 💔 Tiger vs Pathaan was literally the biggest face-off Bollywood could offer. Seeing SRK × Salman together again would’ve been historic. Hope this isn’t the final word (sic)”.

According to the report, the shelving does not necessarily mean the idea has been permanently abandoned, but rather paused until financial conditions align more favourably. Industry observers point out that large-scale projects are often revisited once scheduling, budgets and market trends stabilise.

Neither Yash Raj Films nor the actors have officially confirmed the development at the time of writing. However, according to the report, the situation highlights a growing challenge in Bollywood: balancing superstar-driven spectacle with increasingly cautious studio economics.