Fighter (2024 film)

 

Fighter is a 2024 Indian Hindi-language action film directed by Siddharth Anand, based on a story he wrote with Ramon Chibb. Produced by Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures, it stars Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor, while Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi and Rishabh Sawhney play supporting roles. The film is the first installment in a planned aerial action franchise. The film was announced on 10 January 2021, marking Anand's production debut and his third collaboration with Roshan after Bang Bang! (2014) and War (2019). The pre-production was delayed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Filming began in November 2022 at locations such as Assam, Hyderabad, Jammu and Kashmir and Mumbai. Real life Indian Air Force personnel worked in the film, which wrapped up in October 2023. The film is a fictionalized retelling of a series of military events occurring between India and Pakistan in 2019, including the 2019 Pulwama attack, 2019 Balakot airstrike and 2019 India–Pakistan border skirmishes. The film's soundtrack album composed by Vishal–Shekhar consists of five songs. Satchith Paulose serves as the film's cinematographer. The visual effects are handled by DNEG.

Fighter was originally scheduled for a theatrical release on 30 September 2022 but production delays caused the release date to slip to 25 January 2024, coinciding with the Republic Day weekend. Despite mixed reception, it grossed ₹237 crore (US$28 million) in India and ₹360 crore (US$43 million) worldwide to rank as the seventh highest-grossing Indian film of 2024 and fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of 2024.

In Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, a terrorist organization led by Azhar Akhtar plans to attack India, targeting the Srinagar Air Force Station base of the Indian Air Force.

Group captain Rakesh "Rocky" Jai Singh is assigned to counter the threat and forms a team called "Air Dragons" consisting of skilled fighter pilots. The team includes squadron leaders Shamsher "Patty" Pathania, Minal "Minni" Rathore, Sartaj "Taj" Gill, Basheer "Bash" Khan, and Sukhdeep "Sukhi" Singh. During training, the team members bond, and Minni develops romantic feelings for Patty. However, Patty is haunted by his past after he lost his fiancée in a previous mission. The team learn of an attack on CRPF soldiers in Pulwama, organized by Akhtar.

In response, the Indian Air Force, along with RAW agent Zareena Begum, plan a counterattack on Akhtar's base in Balakot. Despite succeeding in the mission, the aftermath causes conflict between India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Air Force launches a retaliatory attack on the Indian base as a result. Despite Rocky's orders, Patty, Taj, and Bash cross the Line of Control. Taj and Bash's plane is shot down by Pakistan Air Force pilots, leading to their capture. Patty is removed from the team of Air Dragons by Rocky following a court of Inquiry. He is posted as a flying instructor at the Air Force Academy in Hyderabad. Rocky also reveales to Minni that he holds a grudge against Patty for letting his fiancée, Naina Jai Singh, call sign Enjay (revealed to be Rocky's younger sister), die in a previous rescue mission. At the AFA, Patty helps a flight cadet Neha Joshi (who also goes by the similar call sign NJ) to land safely after she panicked and lost control of her plane on her first solo flight. He feels a bit of atonement after helping Neha and then onwards pays special focus on her training.

The Government of Pakistan announces that they will be escorting Taj and Bash safely back to India. However, the Air Dragons team gets a shock as the chopper, which had gone to receive Taj and Bash, returns only with Bash's dead body. Sukhi tells Patty that Bash was brutally murdered by Akhtar and has imprisoned a badly injured Taj. Determined to rescue him, Patty and Rocky defy orders and joins a covert mission. The team successfully infiltrates the enemy territory and Patty is able to rescue Taj and kill Akhtar. After landing Patty and Minni embrace, celebrating their victory.