Republic Day was the perfect time to release the critically acclaimed film Fighter, which features an all-star ensemble. We had great hopes for the substance, what with the Air Force setting and the patriotic tone.

The film stars Hrithik Roshan as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania, better known as Patty, and Deepika Padukone as his colleague, Squadron Leader Minni. The terrible loss of his fiancée, Naina Jaisingh, a former Air Force officer, weighs heavily on Patty’s shoulders.

In the aftermath of the Pulwama Attack, carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, Group Captain Rakesh Singh, also known as Rocky, commanded by Anil Kapoor, leads the Air Force squad that comprises Patty and Minni. A Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist named Azhar Akhtar (Rishab Sawhney) takes over Pakistan’s command center, influencing everyone from the prime minister to the army general.

As Rocky leads the Air Force in countering Azhar Akhtar’s Jihadi objective, the plot thickens. The Air Force’s reaction to the staged threat revolves around Patty’s heroic and patriotic zeal.

Performance:

Despite looking weary and showing indications of aging in close-ups, Hrithik Roshan gives a fantastic performance. As a fighter pilot, he is believable and fascinating in his high-octane action maneuvers.

The combination of Deepika Padukone’s sharp features and nuanced performance makes her stand out. Her breakout performance comes when she finally gets back together with her parents following a long separation.

With just the right amount of dramatic flair, Anil Kapoor gives his role the performance it deserves. With his commanding screen presence, Vinay Varma plays the part of Air Commodore with ease. As the film’s lone antagonist, Rishab Sawhney convincingly plays the role of a brutal terrorist.

The film’s cinematography and CGI are top-notch. The music of Vishal-Shekhar is mesmerizing, but the infectious rhythm of the first song is what really gets under your skin.

Although there aren’t any particularly spine-tingling moments, the score by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara fits the bill.

Analysis:

So far, no film has been able to match the military setting of 1997’s Border in terms of plot. Even Steven Speilberg’s 1998 smash hit “Saving Private Ryan,” starring Tom Hanks, borrowed the film’s climax scene.

The 2019 Pulwama incident serves as the setting for “Fighter,” just like the 1971 Battle of Longewala did for “Border.” However, there isn’t enough meat to the story to make the audience care about the characters or the patriotic passion depicted.

In the first half, we get to know the characters and build some friendships through mundane office scenes like eating and drinking and making predictable jokes. Clichéd dialogues can sometimes reveal the characters’ fates to the audience, removing some of the element of surprise.

Despite being more interesting, the script in the second half isn’t the best. Hero buildup moments, which feature Hrithik as Squadron Leader Patty, are the show stopper. Although this could entice investors, it begs the question of the director’s skill.

The film’s premise is that terrorist organizations influence the Pakistani army, which in turn manipulates the Pakistani government. Even if it’s real, the portrayal may have been more dramatic and compelling if it hadn’t shown a terrorist taking over the country, its military, and the prime minister.

It would have been more interesting if the selected war had involved the Indian Air Force squad rescuing officials detained by the Pakistani army.

The film’s strong points include Deepika’s reunion with her parents, the funeral for a captured cop, and Hrithik’s moving response to hearing the name “NJ” twice.

Conversely, the hero and terrorist engage in clichéd fighting scenes near the end of the film, which fail to generate any excitement.

Viewers who aren’t too picky about their level of conviction, reasoning, and maturity will likely enjoy “Fighter,” which is a patriotic film about a clandestine mission. This fighter mission may have gone beyond everyone’s wildest dreams if it had been more expertly piloted, giving passengers a greater thrill of exhilaration.

Film: Fighter

ibomma Rating: 2.5/5
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, Vinay Varma, Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Sanjeev Jaiswal, Austosh Rana etc
Music: Vishal-Sekhar (songs), Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara (backgrund)
Editing: Aarif Sheikh
Camera: Satchith Paulose
Production: Viacom 18 Studios
Direction: Siddharth Anand
Release Date: 25th January 2024

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