Written by Kianna Best on Jan 29, 2024. Posted in General Interest

Bollywood film Fighter tops global weekend box office

Bollywood film Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone became the highest grossing film this weekend on the global box office, generating revenues of USD 25.1 million. The Viacom18 and Marflix actioner is helmed by Pathaan director Siddharth Anand. Unfolding the experiences of India’s Airforce, the aerial action flick was shot in Italy and Indian cities Assam, Mumbai, Kashmir and Hyderabad.

Image courtesy of Viacom18 / Everett Collection

Toted as Bollywood’s answer to Top Gun, Fighter marks director Siddharth Anand’s return behind the camera following his 2023 success with action thriller Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan. The film follows the experiences of India’s Air Force, both in their personal lives and in the air. Featuring staggering aerial fight sequences, production travelled across multiple Indian cities, as well as Italy for filming.

Contributing to the authenticity of the fight sequences, filming took place in Tezpur, Assam at the Tezpur Air Force Station during the first month of shooting in November 2022. The film also displays a prominent juxtaposition between the climactic action scenes and picturesque moments of character driven moments, most notably facilitated by the backdrops of Pahalgam and its identifiable Dal Lake.

In Hyderabad, the Dundigal Indian Air Force Academy set the scene for the training shots for Roshan’s character whilst Mumbai backdropped the more emotional moments between the Padukone and her male co-star. Fitting true Bollywood form, music plays a significant part in the storytelling of Fighter, with two of the romantic song moments captured in Italy on the beaches of Sassari. This project marks Anand’s second time using the Italian landscapes for filming, also travelling there for shooting during Pathaan.

After an all time low in 2020, Bollywood’s box office rankings have been on a steady climb, reaching a record high last year. The recent movie successes have also shown and evident pattern in genre with high action, male driven flicks making use of big budgets and the local industry’s mega stars. The Hollywood style model is drawing audiences back in, cemented with the help of streaming access and staggered releases building up anticipation.