After the release of his aerial action film Fighter, director Siddharth Anand faced criticism for claiming that “90% of Indians” who have never traveled by air couldn’t relate to the movie. With the film’s underwhelming box office performance, the remark sparked controversy and led to widespread discussions online. However, Siddharth has now clarified his statement, stating that his words were taken out of context.
In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Siddharth said, "Obviously, I didn’t mean that 90% of Indians not flying was the reason for the film’s performance. A lot of people misunderstood my statement, and it led to memes and jokes. What I intended to convey was that a film like Fighter, with its aerial action sequences, might not immediately resonate with audiences who haven't experienced such situations. It's a new and unexplored genre, and the exhilaration of air combat might have felt foreign."
Siddharth added that he wasn’t discussing statistics but rather the emotional connection viewers are supposed to feel in high-stakes action scenes. "In most action films, you see car chases and gunfights, which are more familiar to audiences. With Fighter, people may not have fully grasped the thrill of aerial combat. That’s what I meant by the disconnect," he explained.
Siddharth Anand's Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan as a fighter pilot, released on January 25, 2024, around Republic Day. It featured an ensemble cast including Deepika Padukone, Anil Kapoor, and Karan Singh Grover. The film, set around the Indian Air Force, was co-produced by Siddharth's Marflix Pictures and Viacom18 Pictures.
Despite its ambitious scale, Fighter did not meet box office expectations, leading Siddharth to reflect on its performance. His next project as a co-producer is Sujoy Ghosh's crime drama King, which reunites him with Shah Rukh Khan following the success of Pathaan.