Uri: The Surgical Strike is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language military action film written and directed by Aditya Dhar in his directorial debut. The film is a dramatised account of the Indian Army's surgical strikes conducted across the Line of Control in September 2016, in retaliation for the terrorist attack on an army brigade headquarters in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina and Kirti Kulhari in lead roles.
Produced by Ronnie Screwvala under RSVP Movies, the film was released theatrically on 11 January 2019 and emerged as a major commercial success. It became one of the highest-grossing Hindi films of 2019 and won four awards at the 66th National Film Awards, including Best Director for Aditya Dhar and Best Actor for Vicky Kaushal.
| Title | Uri: The Surgical Strike |
|---|---|
| Director | Aditya Dhar |
| Writer | Aditya Dhar |
| Producer | Ronnie Screwvala |
| Production company | RSVP Movies |
| Lead cast | Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina, Kirti Kulhari |
| Music | Shashwat Sachdev (score and songs) |
| Cinematography | Mitesh Mirchandani |
| Editor | Shivkumar V. Panicker |
| Language | Hindi |
| Country | India |
| Release date | 11 January 2019 |
| Genre | Military action, war drama |
The film is based on the events surrounding the Uri attack of 18 September 2016, in which heavily armed militants attacked an Indian Army brigade headquarters in Uri, in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing 19 soldiers. In response, the Indian Army carried out cross-border surgical strikes on the night of 28–29 September 2016, targeting militant launch pads across the Line of Control. The Director General of Military Operations, Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh, formally announced the operation in a press briefing on 29 September 2016.
Aditya Dhar, who had earlier worked as a lyricist and assistant director, developed the screenplay drawing upon publicly reported accounts of the operation. The film was originally announced with a different lead actor before Vicky Kaushal was cast in the role of the fictional officer Major Vihaan Singh Shergill.
The narrative is divided into five chapters, beginning with a 2015 counter-insurgency operation in Manipur and progressing through the September 2016 Uri attack, the planning of the retaliatory strike, and the execution of the cross-border raid. The film fictionalises the names of officers and operational details while retaining the broad chronology of the public account of the strikes.
Principal photography took place across locations in Serbia, as well as parts of north India, with extensive use of constructed sets to recreate the terrain of the Pir Panjal range and the Line of Control. The shoot reportedly lasted around 70 days. The film made significant use of practical effects, prosthetics and combat choreography, and Vicky Kaushal underwent a physical transformation for the role.
The film's score and songs were composed by Shashwat Sachdev. The track "Challa (Main Lad Jaana)" became particularly popular. The phrase "How's the josh?", repeatedly used in the film, entered popular usage and was widely quoted in public discourse, including by political leaders.
Uri: The Surgical Strike released worldwide on 11 January 2019. It received generally positive reviews from critics for its technical execution, performances and pacing, while some reviewers commented on its patriotic tenor. The film became a commercial blockbuster, with its lifetime gross placing it among the top earners of 2019 in Hindi cinema. It also performed strongly in overseas markets.
At the 66th National Film Awards, the film won:
The film also received nominations and wins at the Filmfare Awards, Zee Cine Awards and other major Hindi film award ceremonies.
The film is considered a turning point in the career of Vicky Kaushal, establishing him as a leading actor in mainstream Hindi cinema. It also marked the launch of Aditya Dhar as a director and reinforced a wave of military-themed Hindi films released in the late 2010s. The catchphrase "How's the josh?" became part of popular culture and was referenced in speeches, advertisements and public events. The film's commercial performance demonstrated the viability of mid-budget, content-driven action films in the Hindi market.