When Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif broke up right before signing Ek Tha Tiger, Kabir Khan revealed atmosphere was tense

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were once one of Bollywood's most adored couples, and while their breakup wasn't smooth, have you ever wondered how they eventually came together again to star in the Tiger franchise? Let's dive into the story.

Director Kabir Khan, known for his hit films like Ek Tha Tiger, New York, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan, shared the story of how he and Aditya Chopra brought together former couple Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif for YRF’s Tiger franchise.

HOW DID KABIR KHAN CONVINCE SALMAN-KATRINA TO STAR IN TIGER ZINDA HAI?

At the time, the two had just broken up, and the atmosphere between them was understandably tense. However, when Salman Khan finally agreed to join the project, Kabir said he was in disbelief.

In an interview with casting director Mukesh Chhabra for Mashable India’s The Bombay Dreams, Kabir recalled the moment, "We were leaving Salman’s house after he agreed to do the film. Katrina had already signed on as Zoya, and she is like family to me—extremely close to Mini (Mathur), the kids, and me. Vicky (Kaushal) is now part of the family too. When I went to Salman, they had just broken up, so things weren’t exactly comfortable. I told him I wanted Katrina, and he knew how close I was to her."

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Kabir went on to describe the drive back with Aditya Chopra. "Adi and I were silent for a while after Salman agreed to join the film, as we had just cast him for the first time. Katrina was already signed. After about 5-10 minutes of silence, Adi said, ‘Yaar bahut badi casting hai’ (Friend, this is an incredible casting), and the next day we announced it."

SALMAN KHAN AND KATRINA KAIF RELATIONSHIP

Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif had been in a relationship for four years before parting ways in 2009. After their breakup, Katrina was linked with Ranbir Kapoor, though their relationship also ended. Katrina eventually started dating Vicky Kaushal, though they kept their relationship private until they publicly revealed their wedding in December 2021. Despite their romantic past, Katrina remains on friendly terms with Salman, often attending family gatherings hosted by him.