Fighter box office collection: A still from the film. (courtesy: X)
Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, did not quite find its wings on take off yesterday. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh reported the film's opening earning as Rs 24 crore at the domestic box office with much of it coming in from the post-5pm shows. The bad news for the year's first big film is that the Day 1 collection can best be classified as average but the good news is that "audience feedback is excellent" which should mean a boost in numbers on Fighter's second day – today.
"After an ordinary/average start in morning and noon shows, Fighter picked up pace post 5 pm onwards on Day 1 (working day before the big holiday)… Agree, the biggie should've targeted a higher number on its opening day, but the good news is that the audience feedback is excellent and that should translate into big numbers today (Day 2; Republic Day holiday)," wrote Taran Adarsh.
"Fighter has performed best at major centres on Day 1, but biz is not in sync with the merits of the film in mass circuits… However, the mass pockets should come on board today and if it continues the momentum on Sat and Sun, a healthy *extended weekend* total will be on the cards," continued Taran Adarsh adding the film's domestic box office total which is just over Rs 24 crore.
Read the post here:
Fighter, directed by Siddharth Anand, stars Hrithik and Deepika with Anil Kapoor for good measure as air force officers. They are part of an elite team that is called upon to respond to a threat from across the border. The cast includes Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Rishabh Sawhney and Sanjeeda Sheikh.
In his review for NDTV, film critic Saibal Chatterjee was not impressed, writing, "For the audience, if you aren't a Hrithik Roshan fan or an inveterate admirer of Bollywood's notion of a war film, the challenge is to fight off the overwhelming ennui that quickly sets in and takes the film down with it. But if the presence of Hrithik is enough inducement, Fighter might pass muster. But that is about it."
He did, however, praise the cast: "Hrithik Roshan does his best to lift the film as high as he can. Deepika Padukone is solid and completely at home in a predominantly man's world. Anil Kapoor's restraint adds a degree of gravitas to the film. But Fighter could have done with a more fearsome villain."
Both Hrithik and Deepika have delivered big-budget and high-octane thrills with Siddharth Anand previously - Hrithik in Bang Bang and War and Deepika in last year's Pathaan. This is the first time the two actors are starring in a film together.