- Date of Release: 25 January 2024
- Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
- Language: Hindi
Fighter
Introduction
The Biggg Republic Day weekend is here but before that we at Popcorn Reviewss would like to wish our readers a very Happy Republic Day. And given the long weekend, I was expecting some fireworks at the Box Office with the new Hrithik Roshan – Deepika Padukone starrer Fighter. I must admit that post Pathaan there was a lot of anticipation from Fighter given that it was Siddharth Anand next theatrical venture. Starting off his career with a Rom-Com titled Salaam Namaste, Sid found his affinity to mount massive action blockbusters since Bang Bang. And he hasn’t looked back or even deviated remotely from the genre. But more importantly, here is a man who knows the pulse of the audience and is willing to push the envelope as far as action blockbusters is concerned.
The anticipation and the buzz around Fighter was massive because this was the first time that the Hindi Film Industry was entering a relatively unknown territory of aerial combat(and briefly flirting with it in the film Mausam). Back in the west, there have been films made on this theme with the most famous ones being Top Gun and the stupendous Top Gun Maverick. But to replicate the visuals and the VFX is what was a challenge given the budget here which is less than one-tenth of that of Hollywood films. But still, I had my hopes high from Fighter that took a sudden dip post its overtly jingoistic trailer. I was quite unimpressed with the tone and the dialogues from what I could make out from the trailer wherein it felt like Top Gun dipped in ‘Gadar’ sauce. The same was reflective in the advance booking too which was lower than anticipated by the trade. Come the 75th Republic Day, I still decided to give Fighter a fighting chance given the talent on show. So then does Fighter spring a surprise, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Fighter follows the story of a bunch of Indian Airforce Aviators who join forces amidst a potential terror threat. Will they overcome the enemy lurking in the dark while continue to maintain a healthy camaraderie amongst them? The story may not formulate any novelty factor and is heavily borrowed from the recent Pulwama attacks that shook the nation but the treatment was something that I was quite impressed with. It is safe to say that the film was several notches better than its insipid trailer that focused just on the jingoism. In fact, the marketing of the film was a bit of a hit and a miss as well. While it didn’t do a favour in cutting such a generic trailer to begin with, the good news was that quite a lot was left to be discovered during my big screen experience. It was a double edged sword that eventually worked in the favour of the film. The screenplay standing at a whopping runtime of 166 minutes did not have a single dull moment. And what the writing did was check all the boxes for a solid action entertainer by packing in just the right kind of emotions and patriotism without really going overboard.
The drama begins by alerting the viewers of a potential threat from across the border while giving a glimpse of an intimidating antagonist. Soon, the drama cuts to the familiar grounds of the Srinagar Air Base wherein you are introduced to the principal characters including the protagonist amidst a heroic entry. But what really got me invested was the camaraderie between the group members without only focusing on the antics of the protagonist. This portion was important given the payback sentiment in the final act that needed a strong foundation. The entire world building was pretty impressive while tactfully focusing on all characters and their character traits. Yes, occasionally there were a few comic scenes that felt tonally off but it didn’t quite disturb the rhythm of the drama.
The proceedings are engaging and engrossing even with the underlying patriotic plot that slowly starts to take center-stage. If you have been following the news then you would be able to guess that the entire turn of events are heavily inspired by the Pulwama attack, a plot point that is nicely controlled in the first hour. To top it, even the aerial combat sequences are exhilarating and quite well done in allowing you space to evoke the right kind of sentiments. I was a little on the fence on the budding romantic track but thankfully the focus remained on the mission at hand. This culminated into a fiery interval block that set things well for the second hour.
I must admit that the beats of the screenplay are predictable and there aren’t too many surprises in store. But the area where the writing scores is in its conviction of providing a massive mass masala entertainer! This was put to test in a crucial second hour that minutely dips with a little diversion away from the action before getting its groove back. But even during this period, there are some heartfelt moments that are generated that keeps the ship afloat. And this is when the writers decide to raise the stakes just enough to add a whole new purpose to the mission. The final act is fun including an intense aerial sequence that only minutely falters in terms of its intensity when the action shifts to the ground level even as it briefly borders on being silly with plenty of creative liberties. But overall, the screenplay definitely controls the patriotic angle whike adding layers of conviction to its armoury.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
I must admit that the dialogues by Abbas Dalal and Hussain Dalal were a worrying factor going into the film given from what it seemed from the trailer. But the lines are nicely controlled throughout the narrative to bring the camaraderie of the group while only briefly taking the patriotic route in spurts and jerks. The lines are powerful and will at times give you goosebumps as well. The music incorporates the different shades of the drama ranging from a peppy dance number to an emotional angle in the narrative. And while the music is good, there ought to have been a chartbuster hit. Sher Khul Gaye was that song but placed so poorly in the narrative that it lacks the impact while also stalling the proceedings to a certain level. Yet, it is the buzzing BGM that truly compliments the drama including the terrific action set-pieces that elevates the drama to another level. I must compliment the cinematography as well that captured some terrific frames while sticking to the tonality of the drama. The combat sequences were well captured as well. The VFX was terrific given the budget of the film. I couldn’t fault the aerial combat sequences at all which was a proud moment in itself, technically speaking.
The editing is an interesting topic that I wish to touch upon. While the drama in general was well edited while having smooth transitions even in action sequences. Where the editing was found wanting was in the dance number, Sher Khul Gaye. Firstly, the dance choreography needed to be better given that Hrithik was at the center of it, and the steps may have been modified to accomodate others(while Hrithik was killing it), it was the editing that was found wanting as well. The dance choreographed to the eight beats of music ought to have been a single take but instead the choppy editing did sink the song a bit too. The costume department was spot on with the attires provided to the characters but the make-up depament had a rare blemish with the kohl applied to the eyes of the Pakistani Air Force officers which was rather gimmicky and not required.
Director Siddharth Anand had recently said in an interview that it is time we should be proud of our films(paraphrased). As it turns out, he was right with his ‘Fighter’ sentiments wherein he carved an action entertainer that we all could be proud of. Yes, there are creative liberties taken in the final act but you can’t help but think on how well Sid has understood the pulse of the audience. And in catering to that, he hasn’t compromised on the world building and characterization at all, only briefly overindulging with the comedic bits in the film that were tonally off. The direction is pretty impressive here in a job well done.
Performances
The performances are spectacular by the ensemble cast and another huge shoutout to the casting director Mukesh Chhabra for nailing the casting yet again. It was nice to spot Samvedna Sulwalka in the drama who I believe has always had a stellar screen presence. The veterans Talat Aziz as Shamsher’s father, Vinay Varma as Debojyoti, Ashutosh Rana as Abhijeet and Geeta Agrawal as Usha, all have their moments to shine. Seerat Mast as Naina, Aditi Sandhya as Neha and Chandan Anand as ‘Nauty’ are pretty good additions in the drama as well. Sharib Hashmi as Varthaman is good but the comedic vibe in his character wasn’t well controlled with the writing. Mahesh Shetty as Unni and Banveen Singh as Sukhi are impressive in their respective roles.
Sanjeeda Sheikh as Saanchi delivers a heartfelt act oozing with a quiet little charm to her character. Akshay Oberoi as Bash is sincere and earnest and shares an infectious vibe with the group. And even in some of the intense moments, he shines beautifully. Karan Singh Grover as Taj is wonderful to watch as well and his screen presence allows him to stand amidst the crowd. Anil Kapoor as Rocky is assertive, intense and just so natural onscreen that he literally commands your attention. Rishabh Sawhney as Azhar had huge boots to fill as the wrecker-in-chief while being a perfect nemesis to the character of Patty. And while the writing let his character down slightly in terms of his motivations, he was intimidating and his stoic dialogue delivery was enough to send chills down your spine. It was a brave casting choice and I feel he managed to impress.
Deepika Padukone as Minni is excellent here while being her charming self as always. But she expresses her inner turmoil wonderfully while being as expressive in some emotional scenes of the second hour. And she also impresses in combat sequences. But it is Hrithik Roshan as Patty who delivers yet another towering act. Firstly, let’s acknowledge the fact that the Greek God is now flaunting his age and how! But it is his eyes that are so expressive(especially given that the aerial shots did involve his face being hidden with only eyes shown) that he totally nails the emotions be it of anger, angst or being emotional. If anything, Fighter works also because of the suave presence of Hrithik who also tries to humanize his character with his antics. This was a performance to cherish and savour!
Conclusion
Fighter is a soaring action entertainer with sparkling performances and some high octane aerial sequences that surprisingly makes for a solid watch. And I must add that I am glad to be proved wrong here, the film is way better than its insipid trailer! Go have a blast! Available in a theatre near you.