The Overview
The article is about Group Captain Rakesh Jaisingh (Anil Kapoor) who is a leader of Indian Air Force’s newly formed Air Dragons unit. This unit, based in Jammu, is a Quick Reaction Search, Rescue and Destroy team with mixed bunch of fighter as well as helicopter pilots. Among them are Rocky (Rakesh), Squadron Leader Shamsher Pathania (Hrithik Roshan) – “Patty”, Squadron Leader Minal Rathore – Minni, Squadron Leader Sartaj Gill – Taj and Squadron Leader Basheer Khan – Bash. Thus, it could be observe that they were top air force pilots congregate together into one elite unity. Why Hrithik’s call sign isn’t Shammi though which would have been cooler.
He may well be the best fighter pilot in India but he has a weakness for insubordination. And He doesn’t do what he’s told to and hence always comes against his superiors’ authority. He has history with him. Meanwhile, terrorist Ashraz Ahmed (Rishabh Sawhney) plans for Indian troops stationed in Kashmir. He brainwashes a young boy from Kashmir into carrying out suicide bombing on Indian soldiers’ convoy. The Indian PM allows IAF to carry out raid across Pakistan border on terrorist camp as reprisal.
And this mission succeeds after which Pakistan responds by attacking IAF bases located in Kashmir; this is more or less an act of war against India.. Sooner the Pakistani planes cross the border; it’s where they are stop by voice radio interference from the Indians themselves . That makes Patty go through while Taj and Bash eject only to be seize at landing point. Patty then gets shift to the Airforce academy at Hyderabad where he starts teaching whereas India struggles to bring back its pilots diplomatically but that may not be enough so another surgical strike must be plan…
The classic film about aerial combat which is the Tom Cruise’s Top Gun (1986). Although Siddharth Anand leans towards the Hollywood blockbuster. He does not repeat its plot points but incorporates some of the real events like Pulwama attack or capture of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistani soldiers after his plane was shot down in POK. Of course, being a commercial movie. Everything we see is larger than life and bears no semblance to any covert operations. The film boasts high production values as well as money spent hugely to make the air war scenes appear as most thrilling.
For instance, climax has best aerial and ground action one can ever imagine. However, Fighter is not just for cocky air force pilots doing their thing. It demonstrates comradery between elite soldiers who fight together as brothers. The unity works hard and plays hard, with even mini flirting going on between patty and minni. Besides that this film turns into a patriotic thriller since Pakistan or rather terrorists backed by our neighboring country are the enemies here. The movie moves at a brisk pace with one action sequence following another interspersed with some emotional moments.
He was named Pathania probably after Pathaan (2023), which too was directed by Siddharth Anand. By the way, Pathania is an actual Rajput family name and not a made up one. Hrithik’s character isn’t merely that of an arrogant fighter pilot; there is also something frail about him. And it’s quite a tragic role as well which the actor has done beautifully. The star also does know how to bring out the emotional side of his personality even in action movies. And he shows it here as well. Hrithik makes every of these believable whether it’s guilt for losing his comrades or patriotic passion.
Deepika Padukone as well isn’t just a gung-ho chopper pilot either. She has her story too; her inner conflict is shown affectingly. She is also an actress who understands how to epitomize the part she plays. And give us an insight into who the individual really is like. It seems strange that these two beautiful, successful actors were never pair together previously. They are so right for each other and have fantastic on-screen chemistry. What they need now though, are a proper romantic film.
Anil Kapoor at 60 plus playing someone who must be in their late forties, possibly early fifties in this case doesn’t sound right He acts properly as a disciplined soldier following all rules. Whereas his Rocky perfectly counters Patty played by Hrithik Rishabh Sawhney definitely looks buffed up yet he fails to scare us like some heartless villain.
All-in-all, Fighter pays homage to not only IAF but all our forces in general. A lot of patriotism runs through what would otherwise be consider an easy breezy action flick with bankable performances keeping it buoyant above all else from start to finish. Come see this movie for its excellent aerial combats and because of Hrithik and Deepika’s chemistry.
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