No matter which theatre you watched Pathaan in, the auditorium invariably broke into applause and seetis when Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan appeared together in the film’s now-famed train sequence. Such is the power of the two superstars joining forces. Salman’s cameo also marked the crossover of spies from the YRF universe, as envisioned by producer Aditya Chopra.

Now, it is Shah Rukh’s turn to make a special appearance in Tiger 3. While word about his cameo has been doing the rounds for long, mid-day has learnt that director Maneesh Sharma has earmarked the last week of April to shoot the sequence.

Like in Siddharth Anand’s directorial venture, the actors’ combination scene in Tiger 3 will be high on action. The director and Chopra had developed the track in 2021, peppering it with the superstars’ easy camaraderie and cheeky humour. The makers’ belief in its potential was further strengthened when the actors’ banter in Pathaan was loved by the audience.

A trade source reveals, “In the January 25 release, Salman’s Tiger tells Pathaan that he will soon go on a deadly mission and might need his help, thus paving the way for Shah Rukh’s cameo. In the third instalment of Tiger, the director has chalked out a massive action scene set in a jail. It will be a continuation of an elaborate sequence shot by Salman last year. A huge set of a prison, designed by Mayur Sharma, will be recreated at a Mumbai studio.”

Chopra has apparently told Sharma that the sequence should be a visual spectacle. The buzz is that the team has roped in Korean stunt director Se-Yeong Oh. “The makers are aware that the audience’s expectations are sky-high after what they have seen in Shah Rukh’s espionage thriller. That’s why they have brought a Korean stunt team on board to choreograph the action set-piece. Adi wants fireworks on screen every time the spies cross paths,” adds the source.

The November 10 offering will also see Katrina Kaif reprise her role of Zoya, with Emraan Hashmi playing the antagonist.

Yash Raj Films remained unavailable for comment.