‘Fighter’ is loosely based on the Pulwama blast and Balakot Airstrike by India on Jaish terror camps inside Pakistan.
Plot
The movie begins with a Jihadi terrorist in Jammu and Kashmir facing a camera and recording a video message. Then the film goes back in time.
At one of the Indian Air Force’s key border posts, India’s Top pilots are hand-picked to form a strike team under Team Commander Rocky. The movie’s timeline merges with the Jihadi video and jolts you with two major events in the first half. Then, a twist occurs. However, in the end, Fighter’s lead team of Air Warriors swings back for high-octane aerial action and fistfights with the enemy. Though the movie’s finish is predictable, the comradeship between the air soldiers stands out.
About the movie
The Fighter packs ample style, substance, and emotion, one-liners that leave you in splits, patriotic fervor, and several whistle-worthy moments. The major plus for the movie is you start rooting for its characters. You learn about them as the story moves.
Hrithik (as Patty) and Deepika (as Minal) are not just stylish as shown in the song sequences, but their roles in ‘Fighter’ are well-crafted. The actors sink into them well. Anil Kapoor (as Rocky) leaves a strong imprint. Rishabh Sawhney is menacing as the antagonist ‘Azhar Akhtar.’ Indeed, every actor in ‘Fighter’ has given a stellar performance. Akshay Oberoi, Karan Singh Grover, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Ashutosh Rana leave their marked performances.
Fighter voices for women in defense forces. However, the film would have done justice to that message had it shown its female lead pull up an equally brave feat, standing shoulder to shoulder with its male protagonist for a path-breaking climax. The movie falls short of that.
One obvious detail the makers of ‘Fighter’ have conveniently neglected: How would the enemy airspace remain unattended and their anti-aircraft systems fail to respond for so long?
The fight sequence at the end could have been slightly shorter. The title song after the end credit in ‘Fighter’ is just promo material with an unwarranted dose of glamor. Nonetheless, the movie is crisper than Jawan, Pathan, and the Tigers.
Most audiences would overlook all these with Fighter’s action-packed climax, music by Vishal–Shekhar, and the rousing BGM score that instills a patriotic triumph. Though action sequences draw inspiration from Hollywood hits like Top Gun, Director, and Co-producer Siddharth Anand deserves applause for giving Bollywood one of its best movies.
It makes you feel for our soldiers and their families and their inconsolable loss. It portrays India’s air prowess in style. Surely, the Russians would love to see their Sukhoi in full glory. In fact, the makers could consider dubbing ‘Fighter’ in Russian.
TNV Rating: 4.5 stars