On its sixth day of release, the anti-Pakistan movie “Fighter” defies box office expectations
Fighter, Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan’s most recent propaganda picture, doesn’t seem to have had much success after its premiere. A week after its premiere, Indian media branded Siddharth Anand’s “war” drama a disaster, and movie tanked at the box office.
Pinkvilla reports that the film was well received, topping the worldwide box office charts in its first weekend of release and outperforming Hollywood blockbusters in its native nation. In spite of the encouraging beginning and favorable reviews, Anand encountered a notable decline at the box office on Monday.
Fighter’s box office receipts on the fifth day showed a notable downturn, with an estimated INR70–80 million collected. This is a decrease of about 70% from its launch day (INR240 million) and a decrease of more than 82% from its Republic Day second day (INR410 million).
As of today, the sixth day, Fighter has made almost INR 1.30 billion. It seems doubtful that the movie would be able to gross more than INR2 billion in India given the sharp decline in receipts. Even if it reaches this goal, it might not be enough given the movie’s alleged INR 2.50 billion budget.
Fighter’s current estimated total revenue at the global box office is INR 2.15 billion. Regarding Roshan, Fighter appears destined to be his second consecutive failure following the debacle of Vikram Vedha in 2022. To the dismay of Padukone’s admirers, this will be the last of the actor’s profitable run at the box office, which began with Pathaan last year. Additionally, it will be a major blow to filmmaker Anand, who will be directing his first disaster in his 19-year career.
Initial reactions are mixed together with dissatisfaction and reservations about the film’s treatment of delicate subjects to create a complex tapestry of criticisms. According to a TikTok video, journalist Haroon Rashid did not hold back in his evaluation of Fighter.
“One of the most offensive, insulting, disgusting, manipulative pieces of propaganda” that Bollywood has produced, according to him.
Deeply disappointed, he stressed how angry he was over the actors’ involvement in a project that, in his words, “distorts facts to such an extent that it puts forward a version of history that didn’t happen and instigates hatred amongst communities.” The BBC critic expressed repeatedly how shocked he was by the film’s content and how very unnerving he found it to be.
Early reviews of Fighter appear to have generated controversy and split viewpoints, with critics highlighting problems with the film’s technical execution, historical portrayal, and narrative decisions. The popularity and reception of the film will probably depend on how viewers react to its ideas and material as crowds of people flood theaters.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.
