I have been reading this question for quite some time now. And I guess, there are several articles already answering the same.
As usual, yours truly was waiting for Fighter to release to put up a holistic blog.
Many people are wondering about the actor who plays the villain in the film starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in lead roles.
It is directed by Siddharth Anand and you can read my review of the movie here.
Even though there are many negative characters in Fighter, there is one guy who can be called the main villain.
But who is he?
Fighter Movie Villain
The actor who takes upon the antagonist’s role in Fighter is Rishabh Sawhney. He plays the character named ‘Azhar Akhtar,’ a Jaish operative.
While introducing him in the story, the Jaish chief credits him for bombings at the Istanbul nightclub, the Indian Embassy in Kabul, and the Mazar-e-Shareef, among other places.
Azhar is called in to plan a scathing blast on Indian soil.
He does so by giving effect to the Pulwama attack, for which he uses Indian men instead of sending people from Pakistan.
Is Mazhar Akhtar Real?
No, there is no factual basis to call Akhtar a real-life terrorist. He is just a fictional man shown as the mastermind behind the Pulwama attack in Fighter.
Despite using several real names – starting with Pulwama itself – like Ajit for Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor, Balakot for the airstrikes, etc., the makers don’t go all-out in the case of Mazhar Akhtar.
But after some digging, I can confidently say that Mazhar is only a fictitious antagonist who has no relevance to reality.
How is Rishabh Sawhney’s Performance in Fighter?
He is impressive in the movie. The most commendable thing about his act is his vocal inflection. Rishabh goes really deep while delivering intense dialogues.
I am not sure but it is possible that audio effects were used to change his pitch. This is just a wild guess because he is really good with the voice.
Moreover, I also liked his intensity and expressions. The red-colored left eye adds a dreadful touch to his mien.
Which Other Movies Sawhney Has Worked in?
According to his IMDb page, Sawhney has worked in shows like The Empire (Hotstar), Kaun Banegi Shikharwati (Zee5), and Bestseller (Prime Video).
While he was a Casting assistant in all three series, Sawhney has acted only in The Empire.
One can say Fighter is his biggest break to date.
Rishabh Sawhney’s Early Life
Born and brought up in New Delhi, Rishabh started his career as a model. He would take part in body-building competitions, walk the ramp, and appear in video and print commercials.
His first proper acting role was in the Hindi web series The Empire, which was released on Disney Plus Hotstar.
He honed the role of Mehmood, Babur’s brother.
In 2022, Rishabh Sawhney was featured as a model in the video song Baat Kar by Faridkot.
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