Fighter: Why India's Top Gun-Style Blockbuster Is So Controversial

Over the last few years, Indian films have seen significant growth on an international level. The country's cinema offerings become staples at local multiplexes, compelling viewers from different backgrounds to check out major blockbusters like the Oscar-winning "RRR" and the uber-controversial flick "Animal." Beyond critical acclaim, Indian films continue to make a killing stateside — the spy epic "Pathaan" and the Shah Rukh Khan-starring "Jawan" made over $15 million last year. There's a rising and raging market for Indian cinema domestically, and the name on top of everyone's lips this year is the Siddharth Anand-directed "Fighter." 

"Fighter" is a "Top Gun"-like film that focuses on the trials and tribulations of the Indian Air Force. The pic is no doubt influenced by the Tom Cruise-starring epic, but it's by no means a "Top Gun" rip-off or remake, as it actively tries to forge its own identity. And in doing so, the film has been controversial to some. 

In the Hindi pic, which stars superstar Hrithik Roshan, the Indian Air Force squares off against the Pakistani Air Force and a fictional Pakistan-based terrorist group. Many, including The Guardian, have labeled the blockbuster as "patriotic propaganda," which has led to a wide-ranging discussion about the film's iffy politics and agenda. The film was notably banned in Gulf countries, which have always been a key market for Bollywood films. Both stateside and in India, "Fighter" has received polarizing reviews, with some praising Anand's bold take, while others have criticized the pic for not bringing anything new to the table. Then, there's the film's awkward box office numbers, suggesting that the "blockbuster" isn't really the financial hit that many are labeling it as.  

"Fighter" is a direct reflection of contemporary Indian politics and the nation's relationship with Pakistan, its neighboring country. The film directly references several attacks that have plagued India, including the 2019 Pulwama attack, which saw the death of several Indian security personnel at the hands of a suicide bomber. Tensions between both nations have increased since then, and "Fighter" plays into this, setting the film in and around Jammu and Kashmir, a region that both nations lay claim to. Politically, it's a lot, and Siddharth Anand's film leans heavily into Indian nationalism to the point of jingoism. 

In the film's trailer, Hrithik Roshan's Maverick-like Shamsher Pathania (callsign "Patty") says that India is the "owner" of Kashmir and vows to turn Pakistan into IOP, aka "India Occupied Pakistan." So, yes, it's far from nuanced, and critics can't help but point out the film's muddy politics. Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express was particularly critical of the film's comical nationalistic tone and its representation of Pakistan as a villain, writing, "I'm tired of terrorists with kohled eyes, plotting in make-shift shacks somewhere in Pakistan, snarling and shooting and scooting." They continued by saying that the film "[succumbs] to the current atmosphere of hyper-nationalism leads to bombast, which in turn weakens ['Fighter.']"

Stateside, RogerEbert.com critic Simon Abrams was pleased with the formulaic flick, though even they couldn't help but acknowledge the film's hyper-nationalism, saying, "If you judge the movie on its loaded terms, you might still find its extra aerial chases to be thrilling, especially when seen and heard in a decent multiplex." 

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film boasts a rotten 32% critics score, though it does have a solid 89% audience score. 

"Fighter" isn't the first Indian film to be jingoistic and it certainly won't be the last. In an Urdu review, TikTok critic @asadkhuwaja007 discussed how the film's anti-Pakistan stance is similar to last year's box office hit "Gadar 2," describing the aerial flick's politics as both formulaic and basic. And the truth is, these politics work at the box office if you take a look at the receipts. "Gadar 2," for example, made over 500 crore INR — that $60 million USD — in India alone.

Speaking of doing well at the box office, the global hit "Jawan" made over $140 million USD, emerging as one of the highest-grossing Indian films ever made. The film notably pulled in a whopping $16 million in the United Arab Emirates. Another 2023 release, "Pathaan," which was directed by "Fighter" helmer Siddharth Anand, managed to make $14 million in the Gulf. 

Thanks in part to South Asian ex-pats, Indian films, especially star vehicles and blockbusters, have boomed financially in the Middle East. Headlines were made before the release of "Fighter" when the film was banned in Gulf countries, with the United Arab Emirates suspending the film's release indefinitely. No official reason has been given as to why the picture was banned, but it has certainly led to speculation, and all eyes point to the film's nationalistic tone as the culprit. "I believe it's because of the strong anti-Pak sentiment in the film. Lots of Pak expats live in Gulf countries. That's my best guess," speculated Reddit user u/nukeman239. 

While we haven't yet received an official explanation for why the film was banned in the Gulf, "Fighter" is suffering at the box office because of it. 

"Fighter" opened on Thursday, January 25, India's Republic Day — that's the same date 2023's "Pathaan" opened. The film had a modest opening-day gross, though business continued to improve as the weekend kicked off. By the end of the weekend, the flick had made $25 million globally, with over $4 million coming from North America. For context, "Pathaan" opened to nearly $7 million stateside this time last year. By Tuesday, January 30, the box office began to paint a different story, confirming that "Fighter" didn't have the momentum to reach box office heights. 

Veteran Indian box office analyst and film commentator Sumit Kadel took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to discuss how the film saw a significant drop in its weekday performance, writing, "Crash of #Fighter on Monday has shocked trade and industry alike. No one was expecting it to come down so heavily on Monday." 

While speaking with Galatta Plus, Siddharth Anand opened up about the film's lukewarm box office reception, discussing how his financial expectations regarding the "Top Gun"-like blockbuster were unrealistic. To date, "Fighter" has grossed just shy of 240 crores – that's around $28 million. And the way the film is trending, it seems unlikely that it will penetrate the $40 million mark, despite the hype surrounding it. One can only imagine how much the film would have reeled in if it was released in the Gulf. 

Despite the controversy surrounding the picture and the lukewarm box office receipts, audiences seem to be enjoying the film. While it does take cues from "Top Gun," the pic has its own identity and has ushered in a new era of Indian action cinema, even if it stumbles trying to do so.