Tiger Gang (1974)
Cast: Tony Kendall, Brad Harris, Zeba, Mohammad Ali, Ali Ejaz, Qavi Roberto Messina, Gisella Hahn, Fuer Bringer, Roberto Messina, Basedow, Nisho, Talat Siddiqi, Meena Choudhary, Zarqa, Khalid Saleem Mota, Ijaz Akhtar, Yasmin Khan, Saqi, Shakir Directed by: Harald Reinl, Iqbal Shehzad
Synopsis: A Pak-Italian co-production with actors from Germany and the US involved. A drug mafia is spreading its evil influence from Pakistan via Afghanistan.
Reviewed by: Omar Khan

Pakistani cinema has rarely made films in conjunction with European, American or Japanese filmmakers, so Tiger Gang, as it is known in Pakistan, is of considerable interest.

The Pakistani version differs quite significantly from the European Cut of the film and is at least 30 minutes longer, for which it suffers considerably. The European cut is not a classic by any stretch of the imagination, but it moves along at a pace, and the rapid-fire action keeps the monotony at bay. Alas, the Pakistani version is padded with lengthy stretches of inane and unfunny comedy sequences, an excess of romantic interludes, and, worst of all, a heap of songs that slow the film down to an insufferable pace.

The film’s plot concerns an international effort by the good guys to find and destroy a drug smuggling operation causing strife worldwide. The influx of deadly drugs is a problem for Pakistani youth, shown in zombie-like drug dens, and for American kids who smoke dope and shoot heroin on the rooftops of Manhattan.

Police Inspector Ali (Mohammad Ali) joins with some foreign agents, and together they attempt to discover and root out the evil menace from Afghanistan. In the Pakistani version, there is an emphasis on the romance between Shireen (Zeba) and Inspector Ali. Shireen’s brother (Qavi) is addicted to the drug dens and spends most of his time in a daze, and she doesn’t know how to rescue him.

The Western agents discover some of the vagaries of Pakistani life, especially the curvaceous beauties who seem to find the visitors quite a novelty. Meanwhile, they also learn aspects of local life that fascinate them, such as the Zuljinah Shia procession, with followers self-flagellating. This scene was noticeably absent from the Pakistani cut of the film. There is some low-budget James Bond-like action with exploding drums, venomous snakes, and exciting fight scenes.

The film winds its way to a plot twist that isn’t particularly surprising, and after a considerable struggle, the drug route is detected, as well as the masterminds that run it.

Tiger Gang is a pretty pedestrian fare, and the only interest would be an insight into a foreign land and its exotic customs and people for foreign audiences. For Pakistani audiences, there is the rare sight of watching a film where their beloved matinee idols share screen time with actors from the West.

Technically, the film is reasonable but unexceptional and plods along to its conclusion without much excitement. The Pakistani version labours, as it slows down to an infernal pace due to the injection of at least half a dozen songs, and needless comedy routines that do the film no favours. Unsurprisingly, the movie bombed at the Box Of- fice in Pakistan. Audiences expect high melodrama or fast-paced, over-the-top action, which this failed to deliver. Mohammad Ali, Zeba, Nisho and Qavi go through the motions but don’t have any scope for the high drama that local audiences would expect.

Tiger Gang Tiger Gang promises much, especially after some startling Pre- Tom Savini gore, but fails to deliver. If given a choice of viewing the Pakistani or German version, the latter is a far better bet as it’s tighter and lacks the jarring song sequences and comic sequences, which only bring the experience to massive levels of boredom. Tiger Gang sadly ends up as a predictable, bland and dreary fare. The European cut is certainly less tedious than the Pakistani version and an entirely unexceptional film other than it being an Italo-German-Pakistani co-production.