Is YRF shelving ‘Tiger v/s Pathaan’ and proceeding with 'Dhoom 4' with Ranbir Kapoor as lead?

Mumbai: Ever since the buzz about Yash Raj Films planning a grand face-off between Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan in Tiger v/s Pathaan started doing the rounds, excitement around the next chapter of the YRF Spy Universe skyrocketed. However, new reports suggest that the much-anticipated project may be on pause, with Aditya Chopra reportedly putting the film on the back burner for now.

If reports are to be believed, Chopra has chosen to take a break, fearing the risk of the franchise becoming formulaic. Quoting a source close to the development, a Peepingmoon report claimed that the producer feels that “the spy universe films are veering towards repetition and needs a revitalised approach to storytelling and presentation”.

The report further claimed that the producer is planning to rework the creative strategy and bring forward a story that is innovative and fresh for the audience.

While YRF has made no official confirmation as of now, speculations are rife that ‘Tiger v/s Pathaan’ has been shelved.

Interestingly, some reports claim that while he has put ‘Tiger V/S Pathaan’ on a wrath, he is now focusing on ‘Dhoom 4’, another superhit franchise of YRF. According to multiple reports, Aditya wants to prioritise working on ‘Dhoom 4’, which will reportedly be headlined by Ranbir Kapoor and might be directed by Ayan Mukerji. Reports further claimed that the veteran producer, along with screenwriter Sridhar Raghavan, is working closely on creating a character that fits Kapoor’s on-screen persona while also making the film appear to be more stylistic than before. ‘Dhoom 4’ is expected to begin production in April 2026.

More on YRF Spy Universe:

The YRF Spy Universe was launched with the release of ‘Pathaan’, which saw Shah Rukh Khan, John Abraham, and Deepika Padukone in leading roles.

The next release in the universe was ‘Tiger 3’ featuring Salman and Karina Kaif as Tiger and Zoya, respectively. Both ‘Pathaan’ and ‘Tiger’ saw cameo appearances of Salman and Shah Rukh as Tiger and Pathaan, respectively.

Now, the production house is gearing up for the release of its next spy universe release with ‘War 2’. Starring Hrithik Roshan in the lead, ‘War 2’ is directed by Mukerji and will feature Jr. NTR in his Hindi debut.

It will also star Kiara Advani as the leading lady. The action drama is expected to hit cinema halls on August 14, ahead of Independence Day.