Pathaan post-credits scenes explained: How Shah Rukh Khan's film sets up the future of YRF Spy Universe

After much hype and a different promotional campaign that managed to pique curiosity, Pathaan released in theatres on Wednesday. While the film has opened to a phenomenal response with packed houses, already, fans are speculating about the future. Pathaan is part of the YRF Spy Universe, which connects it to War and the Tiger series. A few cameos and references in the film set up the universe and the film’s post-credit scenes add a delicious cherry on top.

Spoilers for Pathaan ahead!

If you haven’t watched Pathaan yet, you may want to stop reading because this article contains a number of spoilers for the film, including plot details and some surprises, but chiefly the description of the film’s two post-credit scenes. Yes, the film has not one but two post-credit scenes, much like a Marvel production. The first is a mid-credits sequence that sets up a sequel, which is followed by a genuinely funny, meta end-credits sequence.

The first of the post-credits sequences begins right where the film ends. Pathaan (Shah Rukh Khan) has planned to part ways with RAW and go his own way after the departure of his senior and mentor (played by Dimple Kapadia). Ashutosh Rana’s character stops him and asks him to stay back, handing him the reins to the program that Dimple ran. He tells him that the job to protect India is not for Pathaan or Tiger or Kabir alone, but it needs all of them together.

The reference to Shah Rukh’s Pathaan possibly teaming up with Hrithik Roshan’s Kabir and Salman Khan’s Tiger raises the stakes for the YRF Spy Universe and certainly has the fans happy. While nothing has been announced in the franchise beyond Tiger 3 as of now, there are murmurs that the three stars will team up for an Avengers-like mega film down the line.

While fans may have to wait for Kabir and Pathaan to team up, Tiger did appear with Pathaan in the film. Salman Khan won fans with his smashing cameo in a spectacular action sequence in the second half. Salman and Shah Rukh teamed up for a big action set piece on a train. The end-credits scene picks up from after this with Tiger and Pathaan sitting on the tracks. The conversation between them is an almost-fourth wall breaking joke where the two actors mull about having done this for 30 years and if they should call it quits. They wonder who could replace them but decide nobody is good enough. In the end, Shah Rukh’s Pathaan says they need to continue because ‘bachchon par nahi chhor sakte (can’t leave all this to kids)’.

The conversation is a clever parallel to Shah Rukh and Salman’s dominance over Bollywood for almost three decades now and how no younger and newer actor has been able to ‘replace’ them.

Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand, also stars Deepika Padukone and John Abraham in pivotal roles. The film has opened to mixed to positive reviews and good response from the audience. It is on course to be the first blockbuster of 2023.