The fans of Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in the Gulf who were eagerly awaiting the release of their movie “Fighter” have some unfortunate news.As per Girish Johar, film business expert and producer, “In a setback, #Fighter officially banned across Middle East regions for theatrical release. Only UAE will release the film with PG15 classification !” The ban is very obvious looking at the context of the film around the airstrikes conducted against Pakistan.
Although the censor board in Gulf countries has not approved “Fighter,” the aerial action thriller will open in Indian theatres and other countries on January 25.
The plot of Fighter
Siddharth Anand is the director of the movie, which also stars Akshay Oberoi, Karan Singh Grover, and Anil Kapoor.The film centres on the Indian Air Forces’ Balakot attack, which took place in the Pakistani region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa near the town of Balakot. In response to a terror incident in J&K, an airstrike was carried out against Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the group believed to be the largest camp of terrorists. Roughly forty CRPF men lost their life in the horrific incident.
After the successful films Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008) and Pathaan (2023), Deepika is starring in her third film with Siddharth Anand. It’s also Siddharth Anand and Hrithik Roshan’s third film together. With ₹160 crore, they produced Bang Bang!, their debut film, which went on to earn ₹340 crore globally. They used ₹150 crore to produce War, their second joint venture. The film, in which Tiger Shroff also starred, brought in ₹471 crore.
Characters in the movie
Patty, also known as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania, is portrayed by Hrithik Roshan. In the film, Deepika Padukone plays Squadron Leader Minal Rathore, also known as Minni. Rocky, also known as Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh, is portrayed by veteran actor Anil Kapoor.Speaking about the film, Siddharth earlier said, “Mamta (Siddharth’s wife) and I started our film company MARFLIX with #FIGHTER. A film that is ambitious in more ways than one. It’s more than just a film for us. And we have given it all to this one. 2024 starts with the same feeling again of nervousness and anxiety. Here’s hoping that you guys give the same love to FIGHTER that you showered on PATHAAN. Happy new year guys! See at the movies!! On 25th January.”
Speaking about the film, Siddharth earlier said, “Mamta (Siddharth’s wife) and I started our film company MARFLIX with #FIGHTER. A film that is ambitious in more ways than one. It’s more than just a film for us. And we have given it all to this one. 2024 starts with the same feeling again of nervousness and anxiety. Here’s hoping that you guys give the same love to FIGHTER that you showered on PATHAAN. Happy new year guys! See at the movies!! On 25th January.”
Siddharth Anand reacts to criticism around Fighter
Siddharth Anand discussed the team’s concerns during a group interview in response to the criticism directed towards ‘Fighter’. He made it clear that the movie is based on a real-life event that shows what actually happened and is well known to the general population. Anand underlined that nothing new has been added, and that people who are angered by the trailer should see the entire movie to fully comprehend the situation.
“When it comes to the trailer, you do put out a few lines. You cannot play out the whole film. Then why will you go to the theatre? You do raise some questions, some sparks so that people can come and watch the film. Hence, our trailer has serviced exactly that motive. So, in a way, I am happy it’s done that. It’s made them inquisitive, and I would tell them to come to theatres, and all your questions would be answered. You will understand the content and emotions behind it,” said Anand.
The “Pathaan” director continued, saying that he wished to stress that the movie opposes terrorism rather than any other nation. “That’s what our film stands for, to fight against terrorism. We have emphasised the same through ‘Fighter’ and once you see it, you will understand.”
The film is more nationalistic than ‘jingoistic’ -Siddharth
Siddharth Anand responded, “I think I would call it more nationalistic than jingoistic,” when asked if he thought the trailer was “jingoistic” in order to appeal to the emotions of the general public. “Some things are just being taken out of context.”Regarding jingoism, the filmmaker continued, “It depends on your point of view. The dialogues that are being labelled as ‘jingoistic’ are directed towards a terrorist.”
He added,””I would say it again that watch the film first. I don’t want to spur a lot of unnecessary controversies. ‘Fighter’ is a happy Indian film. Bharat ki film hai. It’s a patriotic film.”
By: Gursharan Kaur