Review of the film Fighter: “Fighter,” a fun action-drama helmed by Siddharth Anand, is suited for the big screen. Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone play the main characters in the movie.
A movie that was released worldwide in 1986 told the story of a pilot who is granted another chance to prove himself right. The standard for what an aerial action movie with planes should look like was established by Tom Cruise’s Top Gun. Until Cruise returned in a reimagined version of the franchise in 2022, several attempts had been made to replicate the formula, but nothing had ever come close to the original.
Fighter, directed by Siddharth Anand, borrows a few themes from Top Gun to set the stage for a fast-moving tale of bravery, patriotism, and honoring the avian heroes that defend our nation. The fact that the ensemble is fronted by two attractive actors, Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, doesn’t hurt either. But does Fighter become a legitimate action caper because of the performers’ conceit, or do they fall short? Let’s investigate.
If Rajkumar Hirani is the king of feel-good movies and nobody can top Karan Johar’s family tragedies, then Siddharth Anand has made a name for himself with his extravagant, attractive masala comedies. That writing has adopted a patriotic tone with Fighter. There’s a formula that is followed each time a movie deals with Kashmir and the Indo-Pakistan dispute. Following the lead, Siddharth Anand injects plenty of glitz, adrenaline action sequences, and patriotic music, such as “Vande Mataram” and “Jai Hind,” into the mix.
In his films, Anand has a method of introducing his men. Whether it’s the chic opening sequence of SRK in Pathaan, or Hrithik Roshan’s earlier cinematic appearances in Bang Bang and even War. However, he attempts something new in Fighter. He delivers a great opening sequence to Deepika Padukone’s character Minni before introducing the main character, Hrithik Roshan’s Patty. The main action scenes aren’t rushed by the filmmaker because of the film’s scope. He introduces us to the Air Force pilots for the most of the first part. Under the leadership of Anil Kapoor’s Rocky, Rakesh Jaisingh, the Air Dragons are made up of Deepika Padukone’s Minni, Rithik Roshan’s Patty, Karan Singh Grover’s Taj, and Akshay Oberoi’s Bash.
The Pulwama assault and the events that before and followed it are essential to the story. Fighter’s plot revolves around the producers’ recent discovery of how to craft a genuine potboiler that incorporates patriotic sentiment. The true hero of Fighter is found in the action sequences. Anand avoids drawing any parallels to Top Gun by coming up with a unique color scheme for the key shots.
The perfect amount of action and passion is shown in the first half, but the second half falters and then picks up right before the delicious conclusion. Deepika and Hrithik’s combination is a brilliant master stroke. When they are dressed in uniform, they not only look great together but also accurately portray the personalities. When they mean business, they bring a certain level of seriousness to the table. Anil Kapoor demonstrates his authority. His moments with Hrithik and the group are quite remarkable.
Fighter feels a little entangled in its own web of attempting to balance being financially successful with maintaining the integrity of its emotive appeal, in contrast to Pathaan’s uninhibited spirit. After a while, the sequences where Patty plays word games or teaches us how to love the country start to become old. You have to wait patiently for those scenes if you want to view the birds in the sky.
The main character, Hrithik Roshan, reminds us why he is a genuine blue Bollywood superstar, which helps Fighter keep its momentum. It’s something the younger generation should learn from his dedication to making Patty’s path seem personal. When it comes to both the action and emotional parts, Deepika Padukone excels. Both her flirting with Hrithik and their mouthwatering aerial dance in the early half are exhilarating to see. These skilled front-footers receive the proper support from Sanjeeda Shaikh and Karan Singh Grover. However, Rishabh Sawhney’s villain Azhar Akhtar is the weakest link. His almost perfectly styled hair and heavily-lined lips appear too attractive to be frightening.
Fighter is a big-screen spectacle. When those birds soar high in the air, there is nothing that can take your eyes off the screen. Hrithik and Deepika set the screen on fire and I won’t be surprised if they become the go-to pair for big-ticket movies in the future. Siddharth Anand’s Fighter soars high on the entertainment quotient.
