Lack of promotional strategy, connection or Ind-Pak angle; Dissecting the problems with Siddharth Anand's Fighter

Siddharth Anand-directed aerial-action thriller film Fighter might have crossed the Rs 200-crore mark in India, grossing more than Rs 300 crore globally. But it seems like the film didn’t click with the larger section of the audience. Having carried a lot of expectations, viewers felt that the film did not live up to the expectations, thus explaining the downward spiral of the film in its third week now. Featuring actors like Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone, and Anil Kapoor in the lead roles, Fighter shows them in the role of Indian Air Force officers, drawing inspiration from the true story of historic events that took place in 2019, Despite having a powerful star cast, high-octane action scene sequences, aerial sequences, and some amazing locations, a few things seem to have failed to connect with the audiences. Let’s dissect the factors here. Why did Fighter fail to impress the masses? 1. India vs Pakistan angle: The India vs Pakistan angle has now become one of the most common and overused angles in Hindi films. While there are films where the angle actually clicked with the Indian audience, it did not work out the same way for Fighter. The makers could have used it smartly by not directly putting the two countries against each other on the focus.

2. Aerial action: While the aerial action in the film was definitely top-notch, Siddharth Anand’s recent remarks, claiming that 90 per cent of Indians haven’t flown on planes added to the lukewarm response. Apart from that, the film is completely based on aerial action, this also comes as a very new concept for the Indian audience which might also have created a disconnection. 3. Lack of strong promotional strategy: The promotional strategy adopted by the makers of Fighter seemed inadequate and thus failed to connect with the audience and reach a wider audience. 4. Despite the fact that Fighter had the advantage of the Republic Day Holiday and even the dynamic pairing of Hrithik and Deepika, it seems like the film did not connect to the masses in the same way as other films like Raazi, Uri, and Shershaah did. Whether be the dialogues or the ability to create an emotional connection, _Fighter_ had more potential to stir the patriotic chord.