Fights over Fighter!
Navya Kharbanda (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 3, 2024)

For the last few days, Fighter has been the centre of attention for celebs from Pakistan, who’ve expressed disappointment with its anti-Pakistan narrative. The Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone-starrer is set against the backdrop of an air strike by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan.

While Pakistani actor Hania Aamir criticized the trailer, actor Adnan Siddiqui took a swipe at the Siddharth Anand-directorial, calling it a “flop show”. The film that was released on January 25, grossed over Rs. 250 crore worldwide in its opening week.

Now, Anand has found himself embroiled in a controversy. During a recent interview with Galatta Plus, he said that the concept of Fighter is “alien” to a large section of the audience in India. “How do you expect them to know what’s happening in the air? How much percentage of our population has a passport.” His comments (read quote box on the left) have triggered criticism on social media.

What’s the industry saying?

Public needs content. This defending by the director or even the social media trolling could add to marketing or awareness of the film, but won’t add to the box-office value at this point. Had the film been accepted by the audience, the collections wouldn’t have dwindled.
- Girish Johar, producer and film trade expert

The directors should be more responsible in what they say. Even if 90 percent [people] don’t go (travel in airplanes), aisa nahin hai ki kisi ko pata hi nahin ki plane kya hota hai. The box-office numbers for Fighter are going up again, thanks to worldwide collections.
- Atul Mohan, trade analyst

One shouldn’t bother about trolls, especially if it’s coming from Pakistan, because they are offended. The film is a direct attack on Pakistan and it’s based on facts. The overall collections are not good, as it’s not a raw film like Gadar 2 or a masala film like Pathaan (2023). Siddharth is right. It’s an urban film.
- Taran Adarsh, trade analyst