'Fighter' director Siddharth Anand on Deepika Padukone's absence from the film's promotions: 'Can't do without...'

With just a few days left for Siddharth Anand’s aerial action film Fighter to hit theatres, the makers have left no stone unturned to promote the film across the country. Notably, the film has already created a frenzy among fans. From its teaser, and songs to the trailer, everything has taken the anticipation to the next level. While the lead actor Hrithik Roshan along with others can be seen taking part in various promotional events, it seems like the leading lady, actress Deepika Padukone has decided to give the promotions a miss. Deepika’s absence from _Fighter_ promotions has left fans speculating about all the possible reasons, including a feud with director Siddharth Anand. However, giving rest to all the talks, the director has himself cleared the air over it. ‘It is a strategic approach’: Fighter director In an interaction with Bollywood Hungama, director Siddharth Anand when speaking about Deepika’s absence from the promotional events of Fighter revealed that it was a part of a strategic approach to create more anticipation. “Fans can expect her active participation starting from tomorrow (24 January),” he added further stating, “Certainly, we can’t do without Deepika.” Acknowledging the speculations around her absence, the director also clarified that she was initially meant to attend the trailer launch but felt ill. The director also went on to discuss the significant pairing of Hrithik and Deepika, calling it the major highlight of the film. Stating that his strategy for limiting the extensive promotion featuring the duo is to preserve the element of surprise and ensure that audiences enjoy their on-screen chemistry without any saturation. Fighter promotions In the meantime, as promotions remain in full swing, the lead actor Hrithik Roshan recently visited the popular singing reality show Indian Idol to promote his film. On the other hand, actor Anil Kapoor was also spotted on the sets of Bigg Boss 17 as a part of the promotions. Besides that, Hrithik along with Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi, attended another fan event, a picture of which has taken the internet by storm. The photo shows Hrithik, Karan, and Akshay posing behind a sea of enthusiastic fans.

India’s one of the biggest aerial combat action films, Fighter features a stellar cast of Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in the lead followed by Karan Singh Grover and Akshay Oberoi in supporting roles. The film is all set for a Republic Day release on 25 January 2024.