Fighter is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. It marks the first time Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone are paired opposite each other in a film, while Anil Kapoor also stars in a pivotal role. After Pathaan, expectations are sky-high for Fighter from director Siddharth Anand. (Also read: Fighter trailer: Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone give it their all in intense air battle over Kashmir. Watch)
Before its release on January 25, here’s all we know about the action film:
Fighter cast
Apart from Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor, Fighter’s ensemble cast includes Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Talat Aziz, Sanjeev Jaiswal, Rishabh Sawhney, and Ashutosh Rana, among others.
Fighter plot
The trailer for Fighter gave viewers a glimpse of the plot of the aerial action adventure. Hrithik stars as Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania, while Deepika plays Squadron Leader Minal Rathore and Anil Kapoor is Group Captain Rakesh Jai Singh.
When militant activities begin to go out of control in the Srinagar Valley, a new and elite unit, Air Dragons, is commissioned by the Air Headquarters. Fighter revolves around the members of these Air Dragons, who are willing to give it their all for the nation while going through the highs and lows of their internal and external battles.
Fighter’s music
The music of Fighter has been scored by Vishal-Shekhar. The album consists of five songs. Some of the songs that have been released in the past few weeks include the dance number Sher Khul Gaye, the peppy romantic number Ishq Jaisa Kuch and Heer Aasmani.
Fighter release date
Fighter was announced in January 2021. Fighter was originally scheduled for a theatrical release in September 2022. However, the pre-production was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fighter is now slated to release on the eve of Republic Day, on January 25, 2024.
Fighter controversies
Hania Aamir, Adnan Siddiqui and many other Pakistani actors criticised the film’s plot after the release of the trailer. Hania said in her Instagram Stories, “So sad and unfortunate to know that there are artists out there in this day and age who are aware of the power that the cinema holds and still go ahead and feed the riff between the two countries. I feel sorry for the artists who try to bridge the gap by trusting their art as a medium. Distasteful; let art breathe.” Siddharth Anand then reacted to tweets which revealed that Hania had starred in Anti-India films in the past.
Adnan Siddiqui did not mention the name of the film, but tweeted recently, “Once celebrated for love, Bollywood now crafts hate-filled narratives, portraying us as villains. Despite our love for your films, it’s disheartening. Art transcends boundaries; let’s use it to promote love and peace. Two nations, victims of politics, deserve better.”
Meanwhile, Pakistani actor Zara Noor Abbas said on Instagram Stories, “Aren’t you guys tired of selling the same false crap?! Grow up, guys! The world is moving on and getting mature but why do you want to sell this cheap story of hatred? Could have also promoted peace. Don’t we have enough hatred in the world that you had to boost more hate through this global medium of movies?”
Censor Certificate, Runtime
Fighter received clearance from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) with a U/A certificate. According to an India Today report, a few changes were suggested by the board, including the removal of ‘sexually suggested visuals’ and to mute an offensive term. Meanwhile, the runtime of Fighter is approximately 2 hours and 46 minutes.
Advance Bookings
Fighter is the first major Bollywood release of 2024. The film has earned ₹3.66 crore nett in India so far from its advance bookings for day 1. As per the latest estimates on Sacnilk.com, a total of 1,13,110 tickets have been sold for the opening day across India. At the international ticket window, Fighter has crossed $300K, and is likely to cross Hrithik’s previous records set by films like Vikram Vedha and War.