Ashish Srinivasan

An excellent portrayal of a field mission and a daring rescue. I was witness to the return of MRs during Feb 2018 while serving in a civilian capacity in Abu Dhabi. Therefore I could closely relate to the plot. The film provides an on-scene experience of the tense and life-threatening moments the brave soldiers and exceptional officers endured. The tremendous responsibilities carried with grace, grit and commitment by the On-Scene Commanders, the tense moments waiting for Air Support and the exceptional display of courage and bravery by the Section Commanders in the face of the Enemy has been captured sincerely by the Director and his team. In all respects a fitting demonstration of battlefield heroism that will go a long way in inculcating as well as reinforcing a sense of national pride in the hearts and minds of the growing teenage population of the Emirates. For those battle-hardened Gen-X, what better way of recognition and respect could be expected in the Golden Jubilee Year of the formation of this wonderful nation? The release of the film is timed well to coincide with the Cardinal Dates of Martyr's Day, National Day and the start of the Mother of The Nation Festival. The movie gave me goosebumps. It also led me to remember several of my seniors, juniors and coursemates who had made the Supreme Sacrifice in defence of my Motherland too. A General Salute to the Brothers-in-Arms of the UAE's Armed Forces - Serving, Retired and Martyred. A National Salute to this resolute Nation which is my Second Home.

I am quite impressed with the way in which RSV has crafted this movie based on the 'available' news on the Uri terrorist attack and the subsequent, highly debated 'surgical strike'. Most strikingly, it presents to the ordinary movie-goer a very bitter slice of the deep emotional turmoil and the suffering that military families endure as unsung victims of proxy wars. The presentation of the Uri attack and the design and execution revenge op has been reconstructed with adequate precision. A little bit of added drama upto the point of the martyred Officer's child screaming out the war-cry merges perfectly well - although this is borrowed from another true event, not directly connected to the subject matter in focus. However, the attempt to dramatise the climax scenes seems to have slightly overstepped its brief, brining things to a predictable end. The punch of abruptness that is a must at the close of action movies is lost at the finishing moments. This does not take away the life of the movie, though. Apart from the fact that it brings to the public the story behind the scenes of military ops, the movie also is a brilliant idea to publish, using commercial cinema as a vehicle, to put things in perspective the official stand on the 'Surgical Strike'. Considering the timing of the Release of the movie, this is also a clever move to gain popular endorsement of the military policy of the ruling government, now that the next General Elections are round the corner.