Filmfare – July 15, 2019

From the real Uri: The Surgical Strike to the

mythical Ashwatthama, Aditya Dhar’s canvas has

grown grander. Raghuvendra Singh chats with the

debutant director

THE

JOSH

CONTINUES

I WAS ALWAYS FASCINATED BY THE ARMY.

BEING A KASHMIRI, I’VE BEEN FAMILIAR WITH

TERRORISM SINCE I WAS A KID. I’D ALWAYS

WONDER HUM PAKISTAN MEIN GHUS KAR

BADLA KYUN NAHIN LETE

L

uck is being at
the right place
at the right time
with the right
subject. In a
socio-political
milieu, where nationalism
runs high and terrorism
is an everyday threat,
Aditya Dhar’s debut film,
Uri: The Surgical Strike
proved to be a bonanza at
the box-office. Released
early this year, it grossed
around 336 crores
worldwide.
Based on the 2016
Indian Army’s surgical
strike on terror pads in
Pakistan, as a retaliation
to the Uri attack that
claimed 17 army men, it
front-lined Vicky Kaushal
as Major Vihaan Singh
Shergill. “How’s the
josh?” a question posed by

Vicky in the film became

a raging catchphrase for

people across the country

• from politicians,
  cricketers to commoners.
  “It’s an incredible feeling
  for any filmmaker. It’s
  surreal. The beauty is
  that the phrase is being

Uri: The Surgical Strike