Common Sense Media Review
By Sakhi Thirani
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bollywood action takes to the skies; violence, terrorism.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Fighter
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In FIGHTER, due to dangerous threats, the country's top fighter pilots assemble to form a special task force called "Air Dragons." Will the Dragons prove successful and can Squadron Leader Shamsher "Patty" Pathania (Hrithik Roshan) move on from his traumatic past?
Is It Any Good?
This Bollywood action drama takes to the skies to tell a familiar tale often seen in director Siddharth Anand's work. Fighter tries hard to soar in the glory of its courage and heroism yet lacks anything unique or interesting. Overly sentimental as well as aggressive, the film ultimately falls rather flat, becoming slow and predictable through its near three-hour duration. On paper, casting Deepika Padukone as one of the Air Dragons' squadron leaders promised so much. But her character, Minal "Minni" Rathore, is barely given anything to do beyond her tokenistic advocacy for gender equality and her role in the movie's corny romance. Even the music and dance sequences, such a staple in Bollywood cinema, feel random and irritating instead of entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Fighter. Did you find it over the top? Do some types of media violence have different impact than others?
How did the movie portray the character of Minni? Did she contribute to the story or did you find her representation problematic? How can I find positive gender representations in movies and on TV?
Had you seen many Bollywood movies before this? If so, how did this compare? If not, has it inspired you to watch more?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 25, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : March 21, 2024
- Cast : Hrithik Roshan , Deepika Padukone , Anil Kapoor
- Director : Siddharth Anand
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Viacom18 Studios
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 166 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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