Last year, Siddharth Anand’s action entertainer Pathaan starring Shah Rukh Khan in the title role emerged as a box office disruptor as it grossed Rs 1050.30 crore at the worldwide box office. It finally put an end to the drought Bollywood was going through in the post-pandemic world. Interestingly, it also marked the beginning of a friendship between Siddharth and Shah Rukh. A year later, the filmmaker is back with his next offering Fighter starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone. It is all set to release on the big screen on January 25.
In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, Siddharth reveals Shah Rukh’s reaction to Fighter. “He loved the trailer. In fact, I met him the day it was released. He loved the look of the villain and the stunts. According to him, the CGI appeared very seamless. He was very impressed,” he tells us.
So, is he feeling the weight ahead of the release of Fighter now that Pathaan has set the bar too high? “I would lie if I told you that I’m not feeling the pressure of the expectations that people have of me and my films post Pathaan. I feel it every moment but I need to isolate myself and understand that each film has its own journey,” states the War and Bang Bang director.
Recalling the euphoria surrounding Pathaan, he continues, “There’s no way I could’ve imagined that Pathaan would be a mammoth success, even in my wildest dreams. It came at a time when Hindi films weren’t doing well and Bollywood was written off. And then came Pathaan which shattered every norm and box office record – left, right and centre.”
However, he doesn’t expect Fighter to do the same business as the Shah Rukh starrer but still makes a mark in its own way. “I don’t expect that this time around. With Pathaan, it just happened. I got blessed with it. Pathaan was blessed and special. But I don’t want Fighter to be compared to anything. I didn’t want Pathaan to be compared to War either. I want Fighter to chart its own world because it’s its own film,” remarks the filmmaker.
But Siddharth acknowledges the chatter happening on social media where fans have been pitting both films. Reacting to it, he states, “It’s all noise. We’ve to treat it as noise and let your work speak. This perspective only comes with experience. If you haven’t been through the journey, you’ll start getting affected and make some wrong moves. You’ve to isolate yourself and just do your work.”
Fighter marks Siddharth’s first venture under Marflix Pictures. Also starring Anil Kapoor and Karan Singh Grover, it is themed on patriotism and is reportedly based on real-life events, particularly the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attacks.
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