URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE Movie Review is here, the highly awaited war saga directed by debutant Aditya Dhar is based on true events starring Vicky Kaushal in lead. The trailer of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE made a striking impact. Does the war saga serves as the necessary passionate kick and pays a befitting tribute to the befitting reply given by our great honorable warriors of the Indian Army in 2016 – the historically famous surgical strikes on POK?, let’s find out in the movie review of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE.
What is the most striking feature of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
A thwart to the cliché jingoism in Bollywood war saga’s URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE is an action drama that earns on its real feelings of patriotisms laced with a thrilling edge of the seat excitement of an action packed war saga. URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE is Naya Hindustan Ka woh war/action cinema jisse har Hindustani ko dekhna chahiye ( an action war drama of new India which every Indian should watch)
Does URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE has moments of pride, making you stand up and salute Mother India and Indian Army?
From time to time, without fail.
Any unforgettable moments in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Major Vihaan Shergill ( Vicky Kaushal) addresses the commandos from the 10th battalion, Dogra Regiment and 6th battalion, Bihar Regiment in the movie and screams “ How Is The Josh” a deafening reply “ Very High Sir’ makes your heart filled with pride and makes your eyes moist at the same time. The Dogra and Bihar regiment suffered major casualties during the Uri attack by Pakistan.
Any moments of yawn, boredom in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
No.
What is plot/storyline of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Based on true events, URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE is a dramatized account of the historically famous surgical strikes in 2016 carried by Indian Army across the LOC. The strike carried out by the highly trained Indian para commandos that reportedly killed 50 terrorists and destroyed seven camps in PoK.
What is the Story of URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Writer director Aditya Dhar opens URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE with a disturbing attack on the Indian Army in Chandel district of Manipur in 2015. The retaliation of this attack introduces us to Major Vihaan Shergill (Vicky Kaushal). The brave heart Indian Army man makes the attackers pay for their sin and the writer director sets the mood, tone, and velocity of the movie right from the first frame. This is how a war/action should kick off. Vihaan’s mother played by Swaroop Sampat is not keeping well and suffering from Alzheimer’s, due to his mother’s ill health, Vihaan leaves his guns at the border and takes the mouse in New Delhi’s South Block in Army’s office and starts working on desk. The 2016 Uri attack in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that took place around 5:30 a.m. at Indian Army headquarters in Uri, near LOC that reportedly consumed 19 Indian army men shames humanity and underlines the ‘coward’ approach of Pakistan in bold. The Indian government now has to teach the enemy nation a lesson that they won’t forget and the brave heart Major Vihaan Shergill is called for a retaliating act – URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE to avenge the death of the martyrs of Uri attack and make Pakistan pay for its unholy crime.
Analysis
Aditya Dhar makes a simplified and convenient script. The research part could have been more intriguing (this might be a protocol for security reasons and some secrets may have been kept untouched or not shared). The problem is that Aditya Dhar holds the audience in general competently throughout, so the eagerness amongst the thinking/concern audience is very obvious on how certain things gets zeroed down. For example the reported use of leopard urine during the attack is skipped plus other things.
How has Aditya Dhar directed URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Aditya Dhar is a competent filmmaker without any doubt. He has the grip over the medium and understands his genre. Bollywood war movies are many times criticized for their unnecessary chest beating jingoisms. In a remarkable achievement debutant director Aditya Dhar succeeds in making an absorbingly balanced war film in spite of loopholes in his whole script. The action is edge of the seat, there is an establishment for every upcoming moment. The director makes the audience in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE angry when the enemy strikes, sad at seeing the casualties, excited when the Indian army men penetrate into the territory of the enemy and start eliminating them. It infuses the moment of pride amongst the Indians without saying much. The movie astonishingly makes the audience salute the extraordinary valor of Indian Army, makes the chest of an Indian spread wider without any beating and stretching through a gritty action war drama. The love angles, romance, etc is out and is a good move.
How has Vicky Kaushal performed in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Since MASAAN, Vicky Kaushal has never looked back and scaled heights after heights, RAMAN RAGHAV 2.0 , MANMARZIYAAN, SANJU, the actor has never betrayed his character and fulfilled all the demands with sheer brilliance. As a little bulked up in Major Vihaan Shergill in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE, Vicky Kaushal is bound to add more fan base in his intense and excellent portrayal of a determined, gritty and no nonsense army officer who avenged the death of his fellow men on behalf of his nation and made India, Indian Army and Indians proud.
How are the performances of other actors in URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE?
Paresh Rawal whose character is based on the National Security Advisor of India, Ajit Dobhal, is a class apart. Yami Gautam impresses in her role. Kirti Kulhari is fine. Mohit Raina excels. Swaroop Sampat is pious and gives her character the required vulnerability. Rajit Kapoor as PM Narendra Modi has its moments. Yogesh Soman who plays the character based on politician Manohar Parrikar is fine. Mansi Parekh is good.
Making/Technical Analysis
Action director Stefan Richter gives a gritty edge of the seat, combat, ambush scenes making URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE a true blue edge of the seat action/war saga. Action is the major highlight of the movie. Mitesh Mirchandani’s camera travels around the terrains of the LOC, hills, caves, perfectly. Shivkumar V. Panicker’s editing is crisp. Aditya Kanwar’s production design, Nenad Zdero’s art direction and Rohit Chaturvedi’s costume design are apt.
Music
Shashwat Sachdev’s music goes with the flow, Challa (Main Lad Jaana),Beh Chala and Jagga Jiteya pushes the momentum ahead.
Final words on URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE
For a true Indian, it’s nothing better than feeling proud for Mother India. Writer director Aditya Dhar does thwart the jingoisms associated with Bollywood war action flicks with URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE. Though it lacks the layered philosophy on wars like RAAZI, it cannot be denied that a time comes when eye for an eye becomes the most befitting reply. People may have their arguments, but the movie is certainly a feeling of triumph and proud for the ‘aam deshvasi’ (common Indian). It’s not that mass hero action masala or the run of the mill revenge picture where a popular on screen gun – toting macho man is out for a purpose, here is a ‘real’ hero fighting ‘real’ enemies in ‘real’ territory, infusing ‘real’ feelings, a picture which can be shown to future generations on how India gave it back to Pakistan. A salute to the valour, unparallel courage of our man of honour – the Indian Army.
If you love your country and respect the Indian Army then URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE should be your first choice this Friday. What a way to ring in the new year with a salute to Mother India, like we stand up for the national anthem in theatres before any movie begins. URI: THE SURGICAL STRIKE starring Vicky Kaushal begins Bollywood 2019 with a grand salute. And the whole of 2019 abhi baki hai mere dost.
