116. Fighter; movie review

 

FIGHTER

Cert 15

164 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong violence

Fighter is so bad that it prompted me to consider creating a new everyfilm category for audible groans.

Five or six times, Mrs W exhaled in dismay as a catalogue of completely implausible situations hit the screen.

And to deny that it is a rip-off of Top Gun is frankly ludicrous.

Hrithik Roshan might as well have borrowed Tom Cruise's leather jacket, complete with furry collar.

Roshan is Maverick in all but name - the Indian Air Force's most creative and daring pilot whose inability to follow rules threatens the life of everyone in his team.

Ring a bell?

And yet, somehow, he becomes their darling - even after his actions result in disaster.

Roshan plays Patty, with hazel-green eyes, a six-pack, and a smile that charms oversized women to give up their biryani.

Based on the Indian side of Kashmir, he is part of a fighter squadron that includes the fearless Minni (Deepika Padukone).

The pair's initial frostiness is thawed and they become... dancing partners.

Yep, the daring helicopter pilot suddenly appears in a shimmering yellow dress on a yacht, presumably as part of a bonding exercise.

Off-duty scenes make up much of the opening 50 minutes of Siddharth Anand's film before an Indian army convoy is blown up by a Mujahideen terrorist.

Rishabh Sawhney plays the villain-in-chief as a merciless, unhinged terrorist who chops up enemies for fun. 

The very handsome actor is also made up to be scarily ugly in comparison to his Indian enemies, who all look as if they could advertise fragrances.

Anyway, the battle between the Indian Air Force and the Pakistan-backed terrorists is at the heart of Fighter, and if there were any doubt on whose side we are meant to be, the point is hammered him relentlessly.

I lost count of the number of times characters proclaimed:  "Jai Hind (victory to India)" or laboured the point about their love for their country.

While Roshan is gaining almost all the limelight, Padukone is strangely subdued - seemingly only given her role as eye candy.

I can't fathom why one of India's most accomplished actresses accepted such bit-part support to such a one-dimensional lead.

As Mrs W said: "It's all so damned cheesy."

And there's going to be a sequel!

Reasons to watch: If you are in need of an Indian Top Gun

Reasons to avoid: So many cliches

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 3.5/10

Did you know? The film has been banned in all gulf countries

The final word. Siddharth Anand: "I don’t think Fighter has anything to do with Top Gun. This is a Hindi film, inspired by a true incident that our Armed Forces went through in 2019 (Pulwama attack). That incident was the only trigger for us to make the film." Cinema Express

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