After experiencing a decline in earnings for five consecutive days, Hrithik Roshan's Fighter has bounced back to double digits on its second Saturday. According to a report published by Sacnilk, on day 10, the Siddharth Anand directorial has earned ₹10.5 crore (across all languages) at the domestic box office. This brings the total collection of Fighter to ₹162.75 crore, the report added. Packed with aerial action sequences, Fighter marks the first-ever on-screen collaboration between Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan. The film, depicting India's airstrike following a terrorist attack, also features Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, and Akshay Oberoi in pivotal roles.
Fighter's director Siddharth Anand recently addressed the film's underwhelming performance on its opening days. He also shared his insights on why it might not have resonated with Indian film enthusiasts. In an interview with Galatta Plus, Siddharth explained, “Fighter is a huge leap. As filmmakers do this in the country, and the kind of genre it is. It's a space that is unexplored, and is absolutely new. It has no reference point for the audience, that means what they are seeing is a little... accha... such big stars, a commercial director, accha ye planes kya kar rahi he [what are these planes doing?] I am like is this my film, I don't know this.”
He continued: “If you realise, there is a huge percentage of our country...I would say 90% who have not flown in planes! Who have not been to an airport! So how do you expect them to know what's happening in the air?”
In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee said, “Squadron Leader Minal Rathore (Deepika Padukone) finds the love of her life even as she soars into the sky against all odds. Group Captain Rakesh Jaisingh (Anil Kapoor) is a stickler for protocol who repeatedly shows why he is such a good leader. And the evil, big-talking terrorist, Azhar Akhtar (Rishabh Sawhney) spews venom without let and paves the way for a final extraction from across the border. Fighter is entirely about how these four characters get to where they eventually do. The 166-minute film, especially its first half, abounds in dogfights and daring air sorties designed to demonstrate the courage of the fighter pilots. Some of the action is pretty impressive but none of it is likely to have you jump out of your seats in delight. There is little in the film that justifies its 3D format.”
Fighter has been jointly backed by Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures.
