Why Are Pak Celebs Slamming Fighter? Here's How Director Responded

The upcoming film Fighter, starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, unfolds against the backdrop of the Indian Air Force's air strike on Pakistan following a terror attack. The recently released trailer sparked criticism from Pakistani actors, including Hania Aamir and Adnan Siddiqui. In response, director Siddharth Anand seemingly addressed the backlash on Twitter.

Reacting to a tweet discussing Hania Aamir's Instagram Stories, Siddharth Anand shared a thinking face emoji. The tweet questioned the Pakistani actors' concern about the film, suggesting that if Indian celebrities don't mind anti-India content in Pakistani movies, why do Pakistani actors care about similar themes in Indian films?

To another tweet questioning whether "art" was breathing in the situation, Siddharth Anand responded with an "Oh!!" The tweet referred to the 2018 Pakistani film Parwaaz Hai Junoon, alleging it to be anti-Indian Air Force, where Hania Aamir had a role.

Hania Aamir had expressed disappointment on Instagram Stories, condemning artists who exploit the power of cinema to deepen rifts between the two countries. She urged artists to let art breathe and act as a bridge instead. She wrote on her stories. "So sad and unfortunate to know that there are artists out there in this day and age who are aware of the power that the cinema holds and still go ahead and feed the riff between the two countries. I feel sorry for the artists who try to bridge the gap by trusting their art as a medium. Distasteful; let art breathe."

Notably, Pakistani actor Adnan Siddiqui also criticised Bollywood's portrayal of Pakistanis as villains without mentioning the film's name. He lamented the shift from Bollywood's earlier celebration of love to crafting hate-filled narratives. He tweeted, "Once celebrated for love, Bollywood now crafts hate-filled narratives, portraying us as villains. Despite our love for your films, it's disheartening. Art transcends boundaries; let's use it to promote love and peace. Two nations, victims of politics, deserve better."

Reacting to the trailer, Pakistani actor Zara Noor Abbas also expressed her discontent on Instagram Stories, questioning why the film chose to perpetuate a story of hatred instead of promoting peace.

Fighter, featuring an ensemble cast including Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Ashutosh Rana, and Sanjeeda Sheikh, is directed by Siddharth Anand. The film is set for a theatrical release on January 25, 2024.