Uri: The Surgical Strike

Movies have always been a tool for telling stories. Propaganda is a story. Movies are a tool. I have absolutely no issue with Uri acting as a possible tool for politics. Every movie influences thought. This one does too. And for those who say "But you know this, you are educated. What about the masses who don't understand this is propaganda?" To that I say, it IS MASS MEDIA. That is the whole point why it is a movie and not a documentary. It certainly seems good military propaganda. Not as good as Hollywood movies (American Sniper for eg. or Zero Dark Thirty) but pretty realistic.

Perhaps absence of cheesy dialogues like "Desh bhi toh tumhari Maa hai" and mentions of "Vishnupuran" could have helped take it up a notch. Especially repeated references to "Naya Bharat." The best propaganda should either be all-out like Riefenstahl or subtle (if you know any examples, please mention in the comments below) .

Kaushal does a good job. A good portrayal of someone the layman would, in an instance, aspire to be. The soldier is back on the pedestal boys. How are you going to compete against him with girls fida over someone who can do no wrong? Previously you could drive over people on footpath. Now you have to sell your soul to an idea.

Paresh Rawal, a natural choice in such a movie, does a really good job of a faux Doval. He is indeed a great actor.

I was irked by Modi, Parrikar, Rawat, Rajnath look alikes not being called by their names. Probably some defamation-IPR-book adaptation-permission things but that only makes it feel farzier.

There was a quite a lot of acronym dropping: right from DRDO to ISRO. Kent RO felt left out.
Otherwise the production value was great. The direction compensated for the trying-hard-to-not-be-cliche script. I will not get into technical accuracy though. I have been told there were many; but the movie was good enough for them to not matter.

I really do not understand how an Intelligence Officer playing the role of a nurse needs so much visible makeup. But fine. It is a positive sign to see women officers who are not necessarily love interests. Yami Gautam does a good job of someone with her own mettle and pulls through the movie on her own weight, often carrying it with her. Still it was annoying when Vickyboi has to show her how effective interrogation is done: something that is her domain.

Though I have serious misgivings regarding the air force officerini's story arc. It has a tinge of "Mai male Vicky hoon, main tumhe mauka doonga." There could have been a better constructed story. The absence of that character and whatever token backstory she gets is pointless.

The action is well-and-realistically choreographed. A fun and good military movie from Bollywood feels fresh. The mercilessness gave plenty of catharsis and release. Like an intifada, a shaking off of passiveness, by a 'Naya Bharat'.

Will not be ending with the question associated with the movie. I do not feel the need to spend time in an institution which drums hierarchy and defines what my duty should be for me to get high. My shots are liquid.

Rating: 3 Beards/5

Company courtesy: Rama Gokhale. Both of our parents watched it before us and loved it and hence both of us needed someone to go watch it with. Heh. She also brought to my notice an interesting connection: Director Dhar was going to shoot a movie with Fawad Khan. But the actual Uri attacks happened and Fawad had to return. Dhar had to start another project, this one.