Tiger Shroff Carved Out A Mega Successful Niche, And How

He can outrun, out-dance and out-kick any one of his peers. Five years after his debut, Tiger Shroff’s popularity remains unparalleled, with a loyal fan following tracking his every (gravity-defying) move. He’s marked his territory, and there’s no stopping him now

- Omkar Khandekar

Each time I met Tiger Shroff – once at his apartment, and once at GQ’s cover shoot – he spoke in a measured tone, called me “sir” even though we’re the same age and was always up for homilies like, “It’s a surreal feeling...” and “I’m just so grateful...”

It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Shroff ’s public persona seems carefully cultivated. “In public, I’m my mother’s son,” he once admitted in an interview with Karan Johar. “[With friends], I’m my father’s.” Such grooming is in sharp contrast to his more garrulous father, superstar Jackie Shroff. “The challenge has been to carve out my own niche,” he says. “I think I’ve done a fairly decent job so far.”

It’s not an unfair assessment. From his debut in Heropanti in 2014 to the super successful Baaghi franchise (a third film is forthcoming), he’s rehashed the role of a shirtless Good Samaritan with a sixpack. On the odd occasion his characters start seeming vulnerable, his directors get him to say things like, “Ye jo tera torture hai, woh mera warmup hai.” It’s all textbook Bollywood, but he makes it work, courtesy his martial arts prowess and sick dancing skills.