Siddharth Anand, who delivered the blockbuster movie ‘Pathaan’ last year, is gearing up for another ambitious directorial project: ‘Fighter’. The aerial action film features Bollywood heartthrob Hrithik Roshan in the lead role and is set for a theatrical release on 25th January 2024. Earlier today, the makers unveiled the official trailer of ‘Fighter’. Let’s see what it tells us about the highly anticipated movie.
‘Fighter’ trailer starts off with a glimpse of an aerial action sequence featuring Hrithik Roshan followed by Anil Kapoor’s character assembling an elite quick response team consisting of the country’s top aviators. So far, so good. Although later, there are some cheesy lines spoken between Hrithik and Deepika Padukone’s characters. Then, a deadly terror attack happens and the goings-on changes gears.
From the ‘Fighter’ trailer, it looks like the film intends to be a never-seen-before visual extravaganza in Indian cinema. The hype around the visual part is understandable because the film’s VFX has been done by the Academy Award winning company DNEG, which has several big-ticket Hollywood films like ‘Inception’, ‘Interstellar’, and ‘Dune’ under its belt. But on the other hand, it somewhat gives a feeling that the presentation is set in a masala entertainer format like ‘Pathaan’. Not that it’s a surprise.
Although the exact plot details of ‘Fighter’ are being kept under wraps, the film’s underlying story ostensibly revolves around a young, spontaneous, and ambitious man who must overcome several hurdles after joining the Indian Air Force.
Not that ‘Fighter’ is even a question (pun intended), but can ‘Fighter’ be India’s answer to Tony Scott’s Tom Cruise starrer Hollywood cult classic ‘Top Gun’? Even Top Gun had its flaws, but it resonated with the audience globally. Now, we’ve to see whether ‘Fighter’ is able to do the same, at least with Indian viewers or it’s still a far-cry after almost four decades!
But what will make ‘Fighter’ a truly good movie will be a coherent and gripping storyline combined with jaw dropping visual effects considering that it’s Indian cinema’s first out-and-out aerial action movie with such a big star. That remains to be seen. From the film’s trailer, the production values look first-rate and Hrithik Roshan has always been a dependable actor. But the rest depends on how well the film was executed.
Besides Hrithik Roshan in the lead role of Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania aka Patty, ‘Fighter’ also features Deepika Padukone as an Army helicopter pilot Minal Rathore and Anil Kapoor as Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh. Interestingly, Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone will be sharing screen space for the first time in ‘Fighter.