Following the roguish terrorist attacks at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir, India takes the fight to the enemy, in its most successful covert operation till date with one and only one objective of avenging their fallen heroes.
A rousing, technically sharp military thriller with strong momentum, effective sound design, and crowd-pleasing set pieces, but it is also openly nationalist and morally simplified. If you want a high-energy, patriotic action film, it delivers; if you want nuance, ambiguity, or a more balanced war perspective, it will likely frustrate you.
Best for
viewers who enjoy patriotic action dramas
fans of tight, propulsive military set pieces
audiences looking for a crowd-pleasing revenge narrative
people interested in contemporary Indian war films
Skip if
you dislike jingoistic or one-sided politics
you want a complex, anti-war, or morally ambiguous war film
you are sensitive to simplistic depictions of the enemy
you prefer realism over heightened inspirational storytelling
Overview
Uri: The Surgical Strike is built to energize rather than complicate. It plays like a mission briefing turned into a victory lap, with crisp pacing, muscular staging, and a score that knows exactly when to push the audience toward applause. The action is often the film’s strongest asset, especially when it leans into silence, tension, and tactical execution instead of speeches.
Worth noting
The downside is that the movie’s emotional and political framework is very blunt. It treats patriotism as the main dramatic engine and leaves little room for doubt, grief, or the messy realities of war. That clarity will feel satisfying to some viewers and reductive to others.
Bottom line
As a piece of mainstream war entertainment, it works best when judged on momentum and craft. As a war film with deeper human or geopolitical insight, it is much thinner. The result is an effective crowd-pleaser that earns its adrenaline more than its complexity.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Michael James (3★) · 164 likes
How is the josh ?? High Sir.How is the josh ?? High Sir.Aditya Dhar makes his directorial debut with a high energy patriotic war movie inspired by the Indian Army’s retaliation after the 2016 Uri attack. The narrative remains straightforward and predictable, strictly focusing on sacrifice, national pride and heroic storytelling rather than deeper complexities of war.
While the enemy side gets portrayed in a stereotypical one dimensional manner, opting for a simplistic good vs evil moral narrative, it does a… more
Littiii (4★) · 98 likes
Not really a big fan of Indian army based films because most of them end up as bland, surface level jingoism that doesn't add anything meaningful. But ngl, Uri still hits. Every song slaps, the action sequences are tight as hell, and the direction is genuinely impressive.
Honestly, I think this was the last movie where patriotism was used in a grounded, effective way instead of being shoved down your throat. I wasn't even planning to rewatch it, but with… more
Sanath Shalavadi (4★) · 93 likes
Dare I say? It was a dhamake(Dha[a]r) filam.
R SUDARSHAN (3★) · 75 likes
yeh naya hindustan hai. yeh ghar mein ghusega bhi, maarega bhi.
aditya dhar’s politics has been clear since his very first film. but if you’re going to repeat the same ideological messaging across films, at least bring new lines instead of recycling the same dialogue.
this being his directorial debut also shows in certain places. there are moments of amateur writing and some awkward cinematic decisions. in dhurandhar, some of his stylistic choices worked very well, like the moment when… more
CineFeel (5★) · 74 likes
Idk what’s wrong with Cinephiles throughout the world that they barely ever try get out of their comforted film zone and get themselves involved into their country’s polity.Come on mfs(this is specifically to Indian letterboxd critics)
India is not US to have forcefully recruited people into its armed forces to just fight!!The army guys in India are there to protect us solely for their love of this nation!!Stop expecting Indian war movies to show something like an Apocalypse Now or… more Idk what’s wrong with Cinephiles throughout the world that they barely ever try get out of their comforted film zone and get themselves involved into their country’s polity.Come on mfs(this is specifically to Indian letterboxd critics)
India is not US to have forcefully recruited people into its armed forces to just fight!!The army guys in India are there to protect us solely for their love of this nation!!Stop expecting Indian war movies to show something like an Apocalypse Now or… more