Had been waiting eagerly for this movie. For obvious reasons; the story and Vicky Kaushal and Mohit Raina.
So, on a crisp cool – can’t call them cold in Mumbai – Sunday morning accompanied by one of my besties and our kids in tow we piled into the car and arrived at the theater. Armed with anticipation – I refuse to be armed with popcorn and soft-drink, for it’s a loot – we took our seats and sat through the trailers – luckily some good movies to follow in the year – and waited for the movie to start.
But before I get on with the movie, I would like to take this opportunity to pay my very humble homage to the men and women of Indian armed forces. As regular people we go about living our lives with little thought to the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis. But at the back of our mind and deep in our thoughts we know and acknowledge the hardships they face and on occasions like our National Days and movies like Uri these emotions come to the fore-front. So, THANK YOU – two very small words but hope they express our gratitude – for all that you do and for all that your families face when you do what you do.
Ok, now we move on to the movie.
From the very first scene the movie grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go till the end. There is never a dull moment where you wish they would just get on with it. The movie opens up with an army convoy being attacked by the terrorists. The entire scene heart breaking-ly portrays the horror of such attacks. The way the army personnel are brutally butchered, burnt, bombed and bulleted leaves you gasping for breath and teary eyed. The Uri attack has your blood boiling at the cold brutality and sheer cowardice of the terrorist who choose to attack not just unarmed soldiers but the ones who were sleeping. It makes you hungry for revenge and to show the perpetrators of the attack that we are not soft. There is such a righteous ring to the line said by NSA Ajit Doval, that we will not only enter their house but also kill them, that it has you clapping for joy and being proud of being an Indian.
The direction of the movie is crisp and all the fight scenes are well choreographed. The movie has a singular focus and it has succeeded in keeping that focus. There is no unnecessary drama or romance that detracts from that focus. During the entire scene of the surgical strike the interplay of light and dark was one of the best parts of the film.
Now moving on to Vicky Kaushal and Mohit Raina. I have been a big fan of Mohit Raina from his ‘Shiva’ days and was waiting for his movie debut. Even though he had a small role as Captain Karan Kashyap it was beautifully portrayed. I wish he will get bigger and meatier roles moving forward.
As for Vicky Kaushal; what can you say except that he is the new kid on the block. He has arrived. He essayed the role of Major Vihan Shergill to the ‘T’; as a caring son, as a grieving brother and friend and as a man on mission, literally. There was not a single shot where I could fault his acting. He was superb. During the scene where they are paying homage to the Uri martyrs, using facial expressions alone, he so poignantly portrayed the inner turmoil he was going through. Even during one of the final scenes where he plunges the knife in the heart of the terrorist his rage, his pain, his sense of loss is palpable through the screen. Now Vicky’s major challenge will be to do better in his next role. A tall order but I wish him all the best and look forward to it.
Overall a great movie, in terms of script, direction and acting. A must watch.
