Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone’s upcoming movie Fighter, scheduled for worldwide theatrical release on January 25, will not be released in all Gulf countries. The movie didn’t get clearance by the GCC Censors which would certainly become a setback for the makers.
Helmed by Siddharth Anand, the high-octane action-packed movie Fighter is set against the backdrop of the Indian Air Force’s airstrike on Pakistan after a terror attack. Anil Kapoor, Karan Singh, and Akshay Oberoi among others will be seen in pivotal roles.
The anticipation for the movie remains high as Hrithik and Deepika will be seen onscreen together for the first time. Even the advance bookings for the movie are so far decent. Makers must be hopeful of a good business at the box office.
However, the makers received a big jolt after Siddharth Anand and his team failed to get clearance from GCC Censors. Now, barring UAE, the movie will not be released in all Gulf countries. As per reports, the screening was held on January 10 and on January 23 it was officially communicated that Fighter won’t be released in Gulf countries.
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While the exact reason behind the release denial remains unknown, it could prove to be a major setback for the makers in terms of collection. Recently, Tiger 3 was banned in Kuwait and Qatar which had a huge impact on its collection. Similarly, Fighter may lose out on business due to denial of clearance.
Recently, several Pakistani celebrities had slammed Fighter and its director for ‘spreading hate.’
As per the latest reports, advance bookings for Fighter have been reasonable for the first day. It has sold around 70000 tickets for the first day in top national chains. Following that, it is expected that the business will spike on January 26 and the movie will likely go beyond Rs 100 crore-mark in the first weekend.