In a hilarious turn of events, the makers of the Bollywood’s anti-Pakistan film Fighter have found themselves in hot water, or “turbulent air,” after being served with a legal notice for featuring a kissing scene between the lead stars, Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan, while wearing Indian Air Force uniforms.
The notice, issued by Wing Commander Saumya Deep Das, deemed the scene an insult to the Indian Air Force, sparking controversy and raising eyebrows across the industry. The scene, which was intended to add a romantic element to the film, has instead crash landed the production team in legal trouble much like Abhinandan.
According to reports from Indian media outlets, the legal notice titled ‘Legal Notice for Defamation, Insult and Negative Impact of Indian Air Force and its Officers’ highlighted the misuse of the Indian Air Force uniform in a manner that contradicts the dignity and values associated with the institution.
In the notice, Wing Commander Saumya Deep Das expressed his concerns, stating,
It embodies the highest ideals of sacrifice, discipline, and unwavering dedication to protecting our nation. By utilizing this sacred symbol for a scene promoting personal romantic entanglements, the film grossly misrepresents its inherent dignity and devalues the profound sacrifices made by countless officers in service of our nation.
The notice further emphasized that the portrayal of inappropriate behavior in uniform sets a dangerous precedent and undermines the moral and ethical standards expected from those entrusted with safeguarding the nation’s borders.
The controversy comes at a particularly challenging time for the film, as Fighter has failed to impress at the box office, with lackluster performance in its first weeks of release. Despite the star power of Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone, the movie has garnered a mediocre total of INR 302 crores in worldwide collections by the end of day 13.
Fighter, directed by Siddharth Anand and produced under Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures, was intended to be the first installment in a planned aerial action franchise. However, with legal troubles and underwhelming box office numbers, the fate of the franchise remains uncertain.
