URI - The Surgical Strike

I went to watch the movie URI in a theatre after a long time, with the little pre-cursor that the site Bookmyshow offered and the reviews were very good too. 

Congratulations to the awesome movie crew for making the movie as grand a success as it is. Phenomenal try and great emotions displayed very well. 

Check out any weblink for the awesome star casting, music, direction, lyricist, cinematography and everything else that you think is important to know before reading my views.

With due respect to the Nation’s defense and salute to the Indian Flag and all respect to the Army men who safeguard our Motherland’s frontiers and the political, social, religious beliefs of the land, I present my opinion here. 

Now, this post is only about my personal roller coaster thoughts upon watching the movie and is not definitely influenced by anything except my inner self. Any resemblance to yours is probable, and definitely, this post is not intended to hurt or disagree with anyone with a different viewpoint. 

I am not into newspapers or news channel. So, when someone mentioned URI, I thought it was a Tamil movie where the word URI goes to mean the hanging pot holding the butter in Brindavan, where Little Krishna (Incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Hinduism, India) is said to have grown up.

The word Surgical Strike did not ring any bell. Bells were pleasant and surgeries clearly meant, cuts, wounds, and blood in my mind.

I do agree that violence sometimes can be fought with violence only, especially when we are dealing with people who cannot, for the life of them, be pinned down to any reasonable understanding of non-violence. That is why the whole surgical strike was planned and executed in return for the atrocious killing that happened in URI in the year 2015-2016 time frame. 

Generally, I stay away from violent movies and science fiction books as it does not tally with my inherent beliefs that I chanced to develop as a child.

• Ahimsa eventually wins.
• Love is still alive on Earth.
• What you do is important than what others do to you.

That said, taking revenge in the same way that the atrocity was meted out does not tally with my beliefs.

I am still thinking what if the surgical strike had not happened? Is there any other way it could have been handled? 

All are human beings behaving inhuman and insane. I also agree that if I had an Army man in my family, I would probably have inherited some of the fighting spirits and fighting for justice in the ‘War’ way. I agree that the wife of the soldier and the little daughter whose tears were the only incentive for the Army man in the family to go ahead and participate in the Surgical strike. It is a nicely woven story thread there. The two artists did the emotions so well that it was hard to believe it is a movie. 

Applause to the director for the little scenes here and there to show the close-knit family, the natural flow of love, and the devastating death news that leaves a scar, much to the shock of the audience too. 

Few captures that linger on in my mind:

• The soldier lets go of the adolescent boy at the terrorist hideout. He did not kill the child.
• The soldier's eyes did shed a tear or two. Under the strict-looking uniforms, they are all human anyway.
• It was with a heavy heart that the ministry decides to go on the surgical strike. It was not inherent in our blood to kill as much as to defend. Liked the portrayal of emotions there.
• Women have been treated with respect and care in this movie.
• Love is subtly yet distinctly displayed in the eyes of the actors. Beautiful and silent.
• Whatever it is, whoever you are, you cannot feel alienated in your mom’s presence.
• Army man’s daughters get courage from some of the real-life happenings that make them what they are. Scars can be deep, yet must be used to fullest potential.
• Bottom line - The undercurrent of life is emotions - silent or loud, said or unsaid, expressed or contained, forced or curtailed. When you stop emoting, is I guess, when you are most likely not alive on Earth!
• However, intelligent and successful you are, you come with a time tag on you. The soldier executed his operation successfully, yet got killed by an undetected bomb placed in a very unassuming way. 
• Never fall for success, or fail to get up because of failure. As long as you get to keep one step forward towards anything you believe in doing, just go ahead. You won’t go farther than your time tag allows you to.

Well done, and trust me, I could feel how hard it was to be one of the soldiers. Wonder how many soldiers’ family go through such things even as we read this post!.

It is saddening. Pride, Nation, and all that is fine, but the wife, the daughter, the mom and the friends and relatives to whom the man must have meant the world, still fight the grief. 

Still, taking five steps backward, there must be someone to do every job in this world right?? And why some jobs involve so much of risk where the soldier has to work with fanatics and sadists in the name of terrorists?  What an unexplained law of karma!