“Uri : The Surgical Strike” ... Jai Hind!!!

“URI : THE SURGICAL STRIKE”

-ABHISHEK NEOGI

PLOT: THE FILM IS BASED ON THE SURGICAL STRIKES CONDUCTED IN 2016 BY THE INDIAN ARMY, AGAINSTMILITANT LAUNCH PADS IN PAKISTAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR (POK). 35-50 TERRORISTS WERE REPORTEDLY KILLEDIN THE COVERT OPERATION, IN RETALIATION TO THE TERRORIST ATTACK IN URI THAT KILLED 19 INDIAN SOLDIERS. SUBSEQUENTLY, PAKISTAN DENIED THE INCIDENT.

REVIEW: ADITYA DHAR’S UNFORGIVING AND UNFORGETTING WAR DRAMA INCORPORATES THE EVENTS THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO THE EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL SURGICAL STRIKES AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF PROTAGONIST MAJOR VIHAAN SINGH SHERGILL (VICKY KAUSHAL). TO MAKE THINGS HARDER FOR HIM, HE ALSO HAS SOME SERIOUS PERSONAL BATTLES TO FIGHT AT HOME.

FIRST THINGS FIRST, VICKY KAUSHAL IS ON A VERY INTERESTING ROLL, AFTER PLAYING A VALIANT PAKISTANI ARMY OFFICER IN THE MOVIE 'RAAZI', HERE HE SWITCHES SIDES AND PLAYS AN INVINCIBLE PARA (SPECIAL FORCES) COMMANDO,OF THE INDIAN ARMY.

JUSTIFYING THE HYPE AROUND HIM, THE ACTOR CONTINUES TO GROW FROM STRENGTH TOSTRENGTH AS EVERY HARDLE HE CROSSES. HIS EXTREMELY SINCERE AND VERY EFFORTLESS PRESENCE ADDS QUITE A DEPTH TO THIS FILM, THAT OTHERWISE LACKS THE PALPABLE TENSION YOU EXPECT FROM A WAR DRAMA.

WHAT MAKES IT SO ENGAGING IS NOT ITS EXECUTION, BUT THE AUDACITY OF THE MISSION IT DRAMATICALLY DECODES AND RECREATES AND WITH SUCH PERFECTION. DESPITE KNOWING THE RESULT, YOU WATCH HOW THE EVENTS UNFOLD WITH CHILDLIKE INTRIGUE AS THE COMPLEX OPERATIONAL PLAN WAS HIGHLY CLASSIFIED.

THE RIGOROUS PROCESS — HOW 80 INDIAN PARA SF COMMANDOS MANAGED TO INFILTRATE THE PAKISTAN OCCUPIED KASHMIR [POK] AREA AND DESTROY THE TERROR CAMPS ESTABLISHED THERE, MAKES FOR AN VERY INSTRUCTIVE WATCH IF NOT ALL GRIPPING.

THE FILM SCORES RELATIVELY HIGHER ON THE TECHNICAL FRONT THAN THAT OF THE CREATIVE POINT. THE COMBAT SEQUENCES, AMBUSH,GUNFIRE, FISTFIGHTS, SNIPER SHOTS ARE REALISTICALLY SHOT. THE CAMERA TACTFULLY FOLLOWS THE SOLDIERS LIKE A SHADOW.

THE SOUND EFFECTS ARE EXTREMELY CRUCIAL IN CASE OF COMBAT FILM STORY TELLING, AND THIS WAR DRAMA USES IT VERY EFFECTIVELY FOR MOST OF IT'S PARTS. THE SOUNDS OF WEAPONS AND BULLETS ARE CAPTURED WELL BUT THERE ARE FEW UNNECESSARY SOUNDS (LOUD WHISPERS, NOISY FOOTSTEPS) AS WELL THAT BEAT THE VERY PURPOSE OF A COVERT MISSION.

THOUGH BASED ON TRUE EVENTS, A LOT SEEMS FAR-FETCHED AND THUS, QUESTIONABLE. ONE CAN OVERLOOK A FEW CREATIVE LIBERTIES, BUT THERE IS DELIBERATE AND DRAMATIC ATTEMPT TO EVOKE EMOTIONS IN THE FIRST HALF.

WHILE THERE IS NO DIRECT HARM IN DOING SO, THE EMOTIONAL MANIPULATION COULD HAVE BEEN A BIT MORE SUBTLE AND A LITTLE LESS PREDICTABLE. YAMI GAUTAM, MOHIT RAINA, PARESH RAWAL AND KIRTI KULHARI ARE QUITE EFFECTIVE IN THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES.

THE SOLDIERS GIVE UP THEIR TODAY FOR OUR TOMORROW [ FOR THE THE COMMON GOOD OF THE FELLOW CITIZENS OF INDIA] AND NO WORDS CAN EVER SIGNIFY OR REPAY THEIR SACRIFICES FOR OUR COUNTRY. URI PUTS A SPOTLIGHT ON THE GRATEFUL JOB THEY ALL DO WITH PASSION IN THEIR HEARTS AND AND NEVER ENDING FIRE IN THEIR BELLIES.

THE FILM IS AN ABSOLUTE FITTING TRIBUTE TO THE INDIAN ARMY CONCEPTUALLY. BUT CINEMATICALLY, IT’S ALSO NOT A FILM WITHOUT ANY FLAWS.

THIS FILM IS RATED 8.7 OUT OF 10 STARS AND ITS 93% FRESH ON ROTTEN TOMATOES. PERSONALLY I LIKED THIS

FILM AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO WATCH THIS FILM AND FEEL THE VALOUR. AT LAST I

WOULD LIKE TO CONCLUDE WITH THE BELOVED DIALOGUE, “HOW IS THE JOSH?”……”HIGH SIR..”