Uri: The Surgical Strike

Uri: The Surgical Strike follows a brazen terrorist assault on the Indian Army base in Uri, Kashmir, and a calculated decision to answer with a precise, covert retaliation. The film centers on Major Vihan Singh Shergill, a steady and capable commander who marshals a small, elite team to target the planners behind the attack. As the mission unfolds, government officials led by NSA Govind Bhardwaj weigh risks, gather intelligence, and coordinate the air and field assets needed to execute the plan. Supported by a medical unit and a sense of shared purpose, the soldiers endure long hours of planning, dangerous reconnaissance, and the pressure of potential reprisals. The story emphasizes duty, sacrifice, and human toll of conflict without melodrama.

Directed by Aditya Dhar and released in 2019, Uri centers on the real life Uri attack and the Indian response. Dhar crafts a lean war narrative that foregrounds planning, teamwork, and the grit of soldiers rather than broad melodrama altogether.

Box office: The film resonated with audiences and became a major commercial success in India and overseas, praised for a restrained approach to violence and a crisp, documentary feel in its action sequences, which contributed to its word of mouth.

Cultural impact: Uri helped shape public conversation around India's military capabilities and covert response options. It popularized a tighter, surgical style of action cinema and seeded debate about how real life events translate to screen drama. Viewers praised Vicky Kaushal's disciplined portrayal of Major Shergill, and the ensemble adds depth.

Reception and themes: Critics lauded the film for brisk pacing and convincing tactical detail, while underscoring themes of duty, leadership, and the cost of revenge. It presents a pragmatic, nationalistic lens on counterterrorism, avoiding glamor but spotlighting sacrifice, camaraderie, and the ethics of swift decisive action. Its themes endure, clearly.