Fighter (soundtrack)

Fighter is the soundtrack album, composed by Vishal-Shekhar to the 2024 Hindi film of the same name, directed by Siddharth Anand that casts Hrithik Roshan, Deepika Padukone and Anil Kapoor in lead roles. The original score to the film was written by Sanchit Balhara and Ankit Balhara. The film was produced by Viacom18 Studios and Marflix Pictures.

The soundtrack album has two distinct sounds - one featured group of pilots in the air force whereas the other brings the theme of patriotism, heartbreak, loss, beauty and courage of the fighter pilots. The tracks "Sher Khul Gaye", "Ishq Jaisa Kuch" and "Heer Aasmani" served as the lead singles. Majority of the tunes for the original songs were composed within a week's time. The song "Bekaar Dil" was available for digital downloads after the theatrical release of the film as it was removed by the CFBC, India.

The music received mixed reviews, critics pointing out their awkward placement in the film run, unusual lyrics and the original score lacking cinematic appeal, However, they praised the tracks, calling it energetic, pacy and romantic. The track "Sher Khul Gaye", a party number and created the record for reaching 50 million views, within 24 hours of its release on YouTube. The music album consists of six original songs, with lyrics written by Kumaar. "Fighter Theme" and "Spirit of Fighter" are theme songs whereas Vande Mataram was alluded as the film's anthem song. The track "Spirit of Fighter" was featured in the film's teaser. The song "Mitti" has a version sung by Suresh Wadkar.

Background
As per Vishal Dadlani majority of the tunes were composed within a week of the film script narration. He cited that the project's 'natural energy' added to their creative process. In an interview Asian Variety TV Network, after Fighter's narration, they started making music on the spot. Knowing the Roshan would be starring in the film, they subconsciously started to design dance tunes. In an interview with DNA India Shekhar Ravjiani said that they kept music of Fighter quite edgy - a combination of electro and dance but the tunes as desi and floaty as possible. In an interview with Asian Sunday, Dadlani said the soundtrack has two distinct types of sound, one, the music of camaraderie of the group of pilots in the air force academy, in the air, initially while training. The rest are based on depth - emotions of patriotism, heartbreak, loss, beauty and courage, truth of the fighter pilots.

"Sher Khul Gaye", is a party track which was featured on group of pilots who were celebrating a milestone. As per Dadlani and Ravjiani, the track instills the spirit of pilots being 'the kings (metaphorically, tigers) of the world'. Director Siddharth Anand acknowledged that the notes, scanning and progressions of "Sher Khul Gaye" were similar to 1977 single Stayin' Alive, neither inspired nor plagiarized. While writing two deep soul tracks ("Mitti" and "Dil Banaane Waaleya"), singer KK was the first choice for the vocals. However, they could not record him due to his untimely demise.

In an interview with Hindustan Times, Anand cited that the theme of "Heer Aasmani" is an air force pilot expressing their unconditional love for the skies. He went on to add that it was modern in presentation and features guitar riffs and rustic vocals by singer B Praak. The track was dedicated to the special squad of Air Dragons coming together. It showcases the crew bonding, both during briefing and training sessions as well as during their downtime. The track "Mitti" was a patriotic, featured at a point in the film where the team of fighters suffer a loss.

The track "Spirit of Fighter" was written for the background score of the film and had been featured in the teaser. The songs "Ishq Jaisa Kuch" and "Bekaar Dil" were removed from the film footage as they were deemed 'explicit' for Indian audience. However, the former one was added in the end credits of Indian theatrical prints whereas both the tracks were present in the international prints.

Music videos
The song "Sher Khul Gaye" was released as the first single from the film on December 15, 2023. The song was a party number and created the record for reaching 50 million views, within 24 hours on YouTube. It drew comparisons with song "Stayin' Alive" by Bee Gees and "Dynamite" by BTS. Padukone wears a polka dotted black dress and matches to the dance steps by Roshan. Anil Kapoor makes a grand entry. The song was choreographed by Bosco and Caesar. The second single from the soundtrack was "Ishq Jaisa Kuch" that was released on December 22, 2023. The song begins with Roshan walking from sea bare-chested with Padukone donning a black monokini. Later in the song, the leading duo wore beach and party-ready fits, Padukone in a gold and silver embellished mini skirt and bralette-style top by Paco Rabanne. The third single was "Heer Aasmani" that was released on January 15, 2024. The crew filmed the song in snowy regions of Jammu and Kashmir. The characters were facing difficulty in syncing lip movements under freezing temperatures.

Critical response
Reviewing for The Guardian, Phuong Lee criticized the tracks and their picturization, calling out: "Racy musical interludes – item songs – are haphazardly inserted throughout; at one point, a flight mission awkwardly cuts to an out-of-place daydream in which the two scantily clad stars groove to a sizzling tune in some distant seaside resort". Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com stated that: A representatively energetic, but unexceptional musical number features lyrics like, “The lions are on the prowl tonight", and the music numbers as pretty romantic. Sakshi Thirani of Common Sense Media said: "The music and dance sequences, such a staple in Bollywood cinema, feel random and irritating instead of entertaining".

Umesh Punwani of Koimoi stated: "Songs appearing out of nowhere in between an important mission are as intruding as you’d expect them to be". The Indian Express reviewed the track "Ishq Jaisa Kuch" stating: "The song might grow on the audience but the initial impact left by Deepika and Hrithik is simply unmissable." The Livemint quoted: " Sanchit and Ankit Balhara’s score is as earwormy as their work on Pathaan." Critics at the board of Bollywood Hungama stated that music doesn't work as intended and is forgettable." They called  'Sher Khul Gaye' as catchy whereas  'Heer Aasmani'  and  'Dil Banaane Waaleya' are woven into the narrative. The background score was praised as 'a big-screen cinematic appeal'. In his review for Times Internet, Aman Kumar noted: "Though the music of Fighter didn’t catch much attention, “Mitti” and “Heer Aasmani” will surely stay with you for a while."

Track listing
The music of the film was released on January 23, 2024. The original soundtrack consists of six songs out of which the first three in that order were released as singles. The two theme tracks were released as "Fighter - Single" on December 1, 2023. Post the film release, track "Mitti" was released as a single with vocals by Suresh Wadkar. Also, the film's anthem song "Vande Mataram" was released on January 25, 2024.

Singles
Notes


 * "Dil Chah Raha" Hai is alternately referred as "Bekaar Dil" on music download platform.

Album credits
All credits adapted from the liner notes of the album.


 * Kumaar - Lyrics (All tracks)
 * Mellow D - Lyrics (Track 1, 2), vocals (Track 2)
 * Abhijit Nalani - Record producer (All tracks)
 * Karan Kanchan - Additional music producer (Track 2)
 * Eric Pillai - Audio mixing (All tracks)
 * Ganesh Gangadharan - Sound design (All tracks)
 * Pritam Das - Sound design (All tracks)
 * Dipesh Verma - Low rhythm (Track 1)
 * Iqbal Azad - Dhol (Track 1)
 * Rhythm Shaw - Guitars (Track 1, 2, 4), bass guitars (Track 2, 4)
 * Warren Mendonsa - Guitars (Track 3)
 * Aatur Soni - Drums (Track 4)
 * Leo Olavio Velho - Cello (Track 5)
 * Sujan Chettri - Cello (Track 5)