‘Fighter’ Review: All Flair, Few Feels

“Salaam aleikum. Mera naam Faisal Ahmed hai. Meri jihad Kashmir ke liye hai,” a Kashmiri man says, staring into the camera. Hello. My name is Faisal Ahmed. And I am fighting for Kashmir. Kashmiris are frustrated that they can no longer live freely in their own home. Pakistan is angry about the entire situation. And so, members of the Pakistani military recruit the one man who can get the job done. No, we’re not talking about Pathaan (2023), the superhit action flick featuring Shah Rukh Khan’s return as the lead in over four years and John Abraham as the white swim trunks-sporting villain we didn’t know we needed. We’re talking about Fighter (2024), the latest film from the same director, Siddharth Anand. Many other things, too, are the same: a beautiful beach song, a wondrous Deepika Padukone, lots of abs, ample action. But, unlike its predecessor, this isn’t a Yash Raj production, so don’t expect an enthralling spy plotline or any yearning for friendly Indo-Pakistani relations. The multiple air chases will exhilarate you, but the screenplay — a disservice to the project’s extremely talented cast — will disappoint you.