Meet Rishabh Sahwney, Fighter's 'hot' villain, once casting assistant, now fighting Hrithik, has fans drooling over him

The trailer of Fighter, Siddharth Anand’s aerial action drama, was unveiled on Monday afternoon. The film, which stars Hrithik Roshan, Anil Kapoor, and Deepika Padukone as Indian Air Force officers, also features a host of other known names and faces. But among them is a new face too, one that took viewers by surprise in the trailer. The film’s villain, who took the internet by storm, is a debutant actor by the name of Rishabh Sawhney

Who is Rishabh Sawhney, Fighter’s villain?

Rishabh Sawhney is a casting assistant and actor, whose only acting credit so far has been a supporting role in 2021’s Disney+ Hotstar series The Empire, where he played Mahmood, appearing in two episodes. This was Rishabh’s acting debut. But the artiste has been associated with the film industry in another capacity. He worked as a casting assistant as well on The Empire and then reprised that role as part of the crew in two other web series – Kaun Banegi Shikharwati and Bestseller. Before entering films, Rishabh was a model and has walked the ramp for top designers like Shantanu and Nikhil.

Rishabh Sawhney’s role in Fighter

Fighter is the story of Indian Air Force’s fictitious elite unit, Air Dragons, and how they combat the growing threat of terror in the Kashmir Valley. The trailer shows Rishabh’s character as the primary antagonist, masterminding the attacks on India from within Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). There are shots of him handling a machine gun and going toe-to-toe with Hrithik Roshan in a fistfight.

And while Deepika Padukone and Hrithik Roshan have naturally dominated the star-studded trailer, Rishabh has almost stolen the show from them. There are many comments online asking who the ‘hot villain’ in the film is, with many saying he looks even more chiseled than Hrithik. There is still time for the film’s release but Rishabh is already building a fan base.

All about Fighter

Directed by Siddharth Anand, Fighter is the most ambitious aerial actioner made in India. Mounted on a massive Rs 250-crore budget, the film stars Hrithik, Deepika, Anil, and Rishabh, along with Karan Singh Grover, Akshay Oberoi, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Talat Aziz, and Ashutosh Rana. The film is set to release in theatres on January 25 ahead of Republic Day.