Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone’s Republic Day release gives Bollywood the perfect take off
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Siddharth Anand‘s Fighter is now playing in theatres. The director who gave us Pathaan last year and ensured Shah Rukh Khan reclaims his King Khan position at the box office is back with a Republic Day release. He is also the man behind War and action is a genre that he has aced. This time, it’s no special agent but the Indian Air Force that’s his hero. Starring Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor amongst others in key roles, the movie Fighter is the first big Bollywood release of the year, coming out over a long weekend and anticipation has been sky-high. But does it give 2024 a flying start? Is Siddharth Anand able to create onscreen magic again? Read BollywoodLife Fighter Movie Review to decide to watch or ditch this new movie.
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Movie Review: Fighter
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Rishabh Sawhney
Director: Siddharth Anand
Release Date: January 25, 2024
Fighter OTT Partner: Netflix
Watch the trailer video of Fighter here:
What’s it about?
Indian Air Force CO Rocky (Anil Kapoor) and his team comprising Patty (Hrithik Roshan), Minnie (Deepika Padukone), Bash (Akshay Oberoi), Taj (Karan Singh Grover) are assembled and parked on red alert at the Srinagar air base. They have intelligence that terror group Jaish is planning an attack and they are ready to strike back. The movie takes the backdrop of the Pulwama attacks of 2019 where CRPF Jawans were killed by a Kashmir based suicide bomber who drove his explosive laden vehicle into their convoy on the Srinagar Kashmir National Highway, killing many jawans and leaving several injured. As a retaliation, IAF launches an air strike on Pakistan’s Balakot and destroys a terrorist camp. The film takes creative liberty here on and how the IAF carry out their mission to destroy more camps and stop the terror mastermind Akhtar (Rishabh Sawhney) with their ‘dhoke ka jawab badla’ mantra is what forms the most part of Fighter.
What’s hot about Fighter?
Siddharth Anand outdoes himself. If you thought you him do it all in War and Pathaan, wait until you watch Fighter. The film is an aerial action extravaganza laced with patriotism and Anand gets all the ingredients just right to make it the perfect big screen experience. The air combat scenes are adrenaline-rushing, the story – though known and predictable – has a gripping narrative that keeps you hooked. The film Fighter boasts of great production value and the scale is justified by the topography of the snow-clad mountains showcasing India-Pakistan LOC and surrounding areas and PoK. There are lighter moments as well and some romantic scenes between Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone that will leave you asking for more. Their chemistry is palpable and makes us wonder how no one thought about casting them together before this?
The perfect casting
The casting of the film is on point, handled by Mukesh Chhabra and Siddharth ensures to give enough time and importance to each of his characters to make them memorable. Hrithik Roshan is effortless as Patty and looks his dishes best in his introduction scenes. He reminds us what a supremely talented actor he is as the overzealous fighter pilot with an almost dangerous flying style. He has a knack for making every character he plays look like it was tailor-made for him. From the small-town baddie Vedha to the suave and stylish Patty, his transformation is unreal. He does a wonderful job at portraying various emotions of a man who has loved, lost and has been guilt tripped to feel that he is not as good as he thinks himself to be.
Deepika Padukone is flawless in every scene. After Pathaan and Jawan last year, she once again will leave you in awe with her superlative performance. The fact that she is a delight to watch in the few glam scenes in the film is a bonus.
Anil Kapoor as the Commanding Officer is brilliant. There is am intensity needed to play such a strong role of a man that comes from a place of authority and Kapoor keeps it restraint enough to not get too dramatic or OTT. There couldn’t have been a better CO than him. Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi and Sanjeeda Sheikh, though have smaller roles as compared to the others, they are impactful. Karan and Akshay as the IAF pilots look the part and there’s conviction in their delivery. Sharib Hashmi and Ashutosh Rana have even smaller parts to play but the sheer brilliance in their performance in those few frames alleviate the scenes and narrative.
The brand new nemesis
The villain here Rishabh Sawhney deserves special mention. He is cruel and invincible. What Anand got wrong in Pathaan (SRK vs John Abraham, they were no match), he gets it right in Fighter. Rishabh with his might, body, demeanour is the perfect match to Hithik’s Patty and their hand-to-hand combat scene laden with some one line punches is one of the highlights. Rishabh may give you John Abraham or even Vidyut Jammwal vibe but you’d not be able to complain. If ‘dread’ was his brief, he does a bloody good job at being one helluva baddie. This new bad boy of Bollywood is one to watch out for.
Music and BGM
The songs are shot well with choreography that brings the best out of the amazing dancers in the cast. The BGM by Ankit and Sanchit Balhara complements the film’s narrative and their attention to detail during aerial scenes where you can hear every whoosh, whir and whine is commendable. There is also a song lyrics Dil Banane Waaleya that plays in the background in one of the heartwrenching scenes that will tear you up with its stirring lyrics.
Seeti Maar Dialogues
The dialogues by Abbas Dalal, Hussain Dalal and Biswapati Sarkar play a huge part in stirring up emotions. Extra appreciation to these brilliant minds for refraining from jingosim or over dramatization. This trio show how one can be patriotic and address terrorism without unnecessary targeting of a community or religion. Sorry for the spoiler but Patty’s dialogues during aerial combat with Red Nose and fighter with Akhtar about PoK and IoP are absolute seeti maar.
What’s Not?
That we couldn’t see as much of Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan. Even their song Ishq Jaisa Kuch comes at the fag end of the movie, way after the credits start rolling and if you are someone who leaves the seat as soon as the movie ends, you’d miss the magic. The two are fire together and their scenes are such a tease. Someone please cast them in an out and out romantic drama please.
Watch this video of Fighter stars here:
Verdict
Watch Fighter to see the Indian Air Force in a whole new light. The film will make you proud, nudge your emotions towards your nation and leave you thoroughly entertained with its grandiose and brilliantly shot air combat scenes. The performances from each member of the cast take the movie a notch higher. If you liked Pathaan and War by Siddharth Anand, you will love Fighter. It will be no exaggeration to say that Fighter is India’s Top Gun.
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