Fighter entertains
For the longest time I had avoided watching any trailers of the star-studded Fighter and had tried rather unsuccessfully to tune out the chatter around it. From the little information that did manage to make its way to me, I knew that I had to keep my expectations low. I knew that I was not going to witness a Lakshya, Shaurya, or Uri: The Surgical Strike. I stepped into an empty hall in Polaris, Ohio, hoping that I would at the least be entertained. I was not disappointed. Even though it was not the complete entertainment package one would hope for, Fighter beat my expectations – it was an enjoyable 2 hours and 46 minutes.
In response to a terrorist threat, Group captain Rakesh Jai Singh – call name Rocky (Anil Kapoor) – brings together a group of talented pilots to form a team called the “Air Dragons.” The team includes Squadron leaders Shamsher Pathania, “Patty” (Hrithik Roshan), Minal Rathod, “Minni” (Deepika Padukone), among other pilots. However, the camaraderie of the team and the budding romance between Patty and Minnie must take a backseat when the terrorist Azhar Akhtar (Rishabh Sawhney) orchestrates an attack on the CRPF soldiers in Pulwama. The rest of the movie deals with how the team, and by extension the Indian Air Force, responds to the attack, as well as Patty’s personal journey and growth.
The cast shines, mostly
This is Hrithik Roshan’s film, and he does not disappoint. He portrays Patty’s arrogance, his confidence, his charm, his fear, his hurt and his desperation without a misstep. Deepika is a capable performer, and she shines in her limited role. Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi as Squadron leaders Sartaj Gill, “Taj” and Basheer Khan, “Bash” , respectively, were a joy to watch. For an actor of Anil Kapoor’s caliber, this was a role he could do with his eyes closed. A special shoutout to Ashutosh Rana and Geeta Agarwal for their heart warming contributions. The exception to this very competent cast is Rishabh Sawhney. His expressions and dialogue delivery left much to be desired.
A visual effects treat
This is a visually stunning film. We get many shots of beautiful people in uniform, walking slow motion with their aviators on. DNEG, a British visual effects and computer animation studio did a fantastic job with the VFX. The multiple shots of the Sukhoi Su-30MKI were seamlessly integrated with the narrative.
One of the best parts about this movie is that it was shot on location, including in Assam, Pahalgam, the Air Force Station in Tezpur, the Air Force Academy in Dundigal, and the Air Force Station in Pune. To add to the authenticity, some scenes were shot with the assistance of Indian Air Force personnel; Hrithik even shot inside a Sukhoi Su-30MKI!
Inconsistent tone marrs narrative
Written by Hussain Dalal, Abbas Dalal, and Biswapati Sarkar, the dialogues deserve a special mention, because they are confusing. It feels like the writers could not decide the tonality they wanted. When the team is interacting with each other, there is a playful tone to their banter. The dialogues here are organic and do not seem forced. Even the patriotic sher that Patty narrates by the bonfire worked itself in naturally. But as soon as the scene shifts to the Pakistani military, the dialogues are filled with janaab, jihad, and jannat. It is hackneyed and tired. Patty’s exchange with the Pakistani pilot was so over the top. It felt like I was watching a completely different movie.
Occasionally, the film veers into jingoism, which is such a jarring contrast to the real and grounded dialogues that the movie has otherwise. It almost seems like the different writers were given different briefs.
When Hrithik’s dance was a distraction
The most promoted songs were Sher Khul Gaye and Ishq Jaisa Kuch. The problem is, neither of the songs are particularly remarkable. Both songs are reminiscent of some other song. While the placement of the former can still be excused as it takes place at a party, the latter only serves to break the narrative. I understand that when the lead is a dancer like Hrithik Roshan, the temptation to showcase his skills is hard to keep in check. However, in Fighter, the dance numbers work against the film. I felt they should either have had something phenomenal to showcase Hrithik’s dance skills or had him go the Jodha Akbar route and not have him dance at all.
The third option could have been to base their promos around the song Dil Banane Waaleya. When I heard the song in the theater, my jaw dropped. It is melodious, original, beautifully arranged and composed. The vocals of Arijit Singh, Jonita Gandhi, Vishal Dadlani, and Shekhar Ravjiani blend into each other seamlessly.
More than an Indo-Pak conflict plot
Which brings me to the marketing itself. Fighter is more that what its trailer has sold us: the done-to-death Indo-Pak conflict. The movie deals with the themes of friendship, grief, guilt, and acceptance. Written by Ramon Chibb and Siddharth Anand (also the director), the movie has loose bits that the duo could have tightened. For example, the scene where Patty launches into a monologue about women in the force. This should have been Deepika’s scene, but more on that later. The filmy dialogue baazi between Patty and the kohl-lined Pakistani pilot should have been done away with.
Deepika’s character is a missed opportunity
Deepika’s character, Meenal Rathod, is a decorated war hero who fought against parental objection to become a Squadron leader. It is rather sad to see that a character with such a back story is wasted, as Deepika is little more than an eye candy. Her bravery, her achievements and her laurels were not enough to make her parents proud, but a lecture from Patty mends the bridges! This scene should have belonged to Deepika’s Meenal. It would give the character a wonderful arc and closure.
Fighter is definitely not the best movie I have seen in this genre. But it wasn’t the worst one either. I was looking to be entertained and to that end, I got my money’s worth.
