Happy Republic Day, fellow Indian folks! This blog post is a film review of Bollywood’s first ever full-fledged aerial action entertainer, Fighter, which is showing in cinemas near you from 25th January 2024.
Caution: Minor Spoilers Ahead!
Action is becoming a regular trend in Bollywood now. It’s pouring action flicks in Bollywood, and people are loving them! 2023 gave us a number of mediocre to above-average Bollywood action entertainers. The year began with Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan. Pathaan was followed by Bholaa, Jawan, Gadar 2, Tiger 3, and Animal. Bollywood thus delivered several medium-budget to big-budget action movies in 2023.
However, people are still not tired of consuming action movies! I went to watch Fighter with literally no expectations, but I walked out of the cinema hall feeling satisfied and pleased. I thought that the usual trend of action movies in Bollywood is becoming repetitive and monotonous now. I thought that Fighter would have nothing new or unique to offer to the genre of action in Bollywood.
But boy, I was wrong! Fighter is a marvellously slick action entertainer that takes aerial action in Hindi cinema to greater heights! Fighter, directed by Siddharth Anand, with original story by Siddharth Anand himself, stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in lead roles, alongside others. Jointly produced by Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures, Fighter, with a run-time of 166.33 minutes, was released on the eve of India’s 75th Republic Day in cinemas world-wide.
Siddharth Anand’s Fighter is visually stunning. It is attractive, compelling, and engaging. Fighter is India’s first ever aerial action film which has been made on such a magnificent scale. I recently watched Merry Christmas and Main Atal Hoon in the cinema, and I was a tad bit disappointed by how both the films have slow screenplays that tend to test your patience.
However, Fighter, from the very beginning, is well-paced. Fighter is a magnum opus that is cinematically majestic. The pre-intermission half is pretty absorbing, and keeps you hooked. The characters and the plot of the film develop fast. I liked how the film did not waste time in trying to build the characters or the narrative up at a plodding pace.
After the intermission, the movie becomes duller and less gripping for about twenty minutes. However, Fighter quickly picks up its pace after a few scenes that feel dragged and sluggish. The post-intermission half is equally engrossing and riveting. Fighter offers the right measures of thrill and suspense, besides action, that constantly keep the viewers on their toes! I don’t know if Fighter is more about loving Hrithik Roshan or more about loving the nation. Hrithik Roshan completely steals the show and owns the film!
Fighter draws inspiration from the Pulwama Attack in 2019 and the Balakot Airstrike in 2019. There’s also a reference of the Uri Surgical Strike in the film. However, the disclaimer clearly mentions that though the film is loosely based on certain real-life incidents, it does not portray these incidents the way they actually are. Fighter highly dramatises warfare and airstrikes in an imaginative manner, but the outcome is sufficiently impressive!
A fictionally dramatised account that draws inspiration from certain true events – this is probably the best way to describe the film Fighter, and its motive. Honestly, Fighter is so much better than Siddharth Anand’s previous films such as Bang Bang! (2014) and War (2019). Even Pathaan (2023) is a mediocre and sub-standard action film which earned massive numbers at the box-office, thanks to Shah Rukh Khan’s super-stardom. After a string of average action films from Siddharth Anand, I did not expect much from Fighter. But Anand has proved me wrong! Anand is truly a seasoned player in the field of action entertainers in Bollywood.
In Fighter, Hrithik Roshan plays the role of Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania aka “Patty”. He is the soul of the film. The film would perhaps lose its charm in the absence of Roshan’s “Patty”. Deepika Padukone plays the role of Squadron Leader Minal Rathore aka “Minni”, and Anil Kapoor plays the role of their Group Captain Rakesh Jaisingh aka “Rocky”. The film revolves around the story of a group of top Indian Air Force combat aviation pilots. The film is loaded with high-octane aerial action sequences that are nothing short of splendid!
Fighter pays tribute to the Indian Air Force and to the Ministry of Defence of India in particular, and pays homage to the Indian Armed and Military Forces in general. The film earnestly manages to ignite feelings of nationalism, patriotism, and love for the nation in the hearts of the viewers. Fighter also delves into the concept of feminism by highlighting how women can excel in any field, and how women are at par with men in the field of aviation, through Deepika Padukone’s character called “Minni”.
However, the film’s plot follows the same old storyline – Kashmir, Pakistan, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, terrorism in Pakistan, India-Pakistan conflict in Kashmir, India’s victory, Pakistan’s inevitable loss, and so on. I feel that this concept is becoming too repetitive now! Think beyond this, Siddharth Anand. But have you heard of the concept of “IoP aka India-occupied Pakistan” before? The film Fighter introduces this idea!
Hrithik Roshan, every woman’s heartthrob, is fabulous in the film. He is brilliant as an aviator, and aces the action sequences, both on land, and up in the air. I’m glad that I could watch his effortless dance moves in two dance numbers from the film, “Sher Khul Gaye”, and “Ishq Jaisa Kuch”. Deepika Padukone too is good, but her character does not have much to offer. Her performance is ordinary in the film; it is almost similar to her role and performance in Pathaan. Roshan and Padukone do share a sizzling on-screen chemistry that sparkles on the big screen!
Anil Kapoor as their Group Captain delivers a convincing and dazzling performance! The supporting actors too have played their parts well. I was pleasantly surprised to see Talat Aziz playing the role of Roshan’s father in the film Fighter. I have never seen Talat Aziz in a movie before. Rishabh Sawhney who plays the role of the antagonist in the film called “Azhar Akhtar”, deserves a special mention. The actor delivers a stellar performance in the role of a character who is stylishly menacing and powerful.
The film Fighter features some of the best aerial action sequences in the history of Hindi cinema. I don’t know if Fighter’s action sequences can be compared with the kind of action that we get to see in Hollywood flicks, but I know that I thoroughly enjoyed watching all the aerial action stunts in Fighter. The movie is fancy, glamorous, entertaining, emotional, and patriotic. Please note that I’m not fond of action films. In fact, I don’t prefer watching action films at all. I wasn’t even excited for Fighter, but I really felt content after watching it.
Everything considered, Fighter manages to strike an almost equal balance between action and emotion through its gripping narrative and screenplay. While the plot could have been fresher and more unique, the way the plot has been executed compensates for that. The film delivers some memorable and heartwarming dialogues such as “Duniya mein mil jaayenge aashiq kayi, par watan se haseen sanam nahin hota; heeron mein simat kar, sone se lipat kar, marte hain kayi, par Tirange se khoobsurat kaffan nahin hota”. This dialogue really touched me. It is so heartwarming!
All in all, Fighter boasts of a compelling storyline, captivating acting performances, fascinating accompanying music, top-notch aerial action sequences, clap-worthy dialogues, and a solid screenplay that perfectly dramatises jingoism so that it doesn’t look deliberate. Fighter delivers what it promises – a gigantic and applause-worthy cinematic experience with breathtaking visuals and stunning sequences of aerial combat.
If you love Hrithik Roshan, you should definitely consider watching Fighter. If you love action flicks, you have another convincing reason to watch Fighter. If you want to feel the essence of patriotism, do watch Fighter. If you wish to be entertained, do certainly watch Fighter. From top to toe, Fighter is a paisa-vasool film! It is the first film in a strategic aerial action franchise in Bollywood.
Fighter is the perfect movie for you to watch, with your friends and your family members, on the Republic Day-weekend. You can watch Fighter in cinemas near you now in 2D, 3D, IMAX, ICE, 4DX, and DBOX formats! Do you roger that?
Jai Hind!
(Featured Images Courtesy: Twitter)