2019 · Film
Uri: The Surgical Strike
Aditya Dhar's dramatised account of India's 2016 cross-border strike after the Uri attack, with Vicky Kaushal as a Para Special Forces officer leading the mission.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Uri: The Surgical Strike is streaming in India on ZEE5 with a subscription.
The story
Major Vihaan Singh Shergill of the Para Special Forces leads a successful operation against militants in Manipur, then takes a desk job in Delhi to care for his mother, who has Alzheimer's. In September 2016, militants attack an army base at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 19 soldiers. As the government weighs its response, Vihaan volunteers to return to the field and help plan a covert strike on launch pads across the Line of Control. The film is told in five chapters.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
Aimed at viewers who like military action and stories built on real events, with a focus on planning and commando operations. It is rated U/A and has sustained combat and gun violence, so it is better for teens and older.
Genres:ActionWar and patrioticTrue stories
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
The film dramatises India's response to the 18 September 2016 attack on an army brigade headquarters at Uri, which led to the Indian Army's surgical strikes across the Line of Control later that month. Vihaan Shergill is a fictional character. Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Movies announced the film in September 2017, and most of it was shot in Serbia.
Uri was Aditya Dhar's debut as a director. It opened on 11 January 2019 and premiered on ZEE5 on 19 March 2019; a Telugu dub followed in June 2019. Wikipedia lists a budget of ₹44 crore and a worldwide gross of about ₹342 crore, the fourth-highest for a Hindi film in 2019. It won four National Film Awards, including Best Director for Dhar and Best Actor for Vicky Kaushal, and at the 65th Filmfare Awards it won Best Debut Director and Best Editing. Its line "How's the josh?" became a widely quoted catchphrase.
The facts
- Language
- Hindi
- Hindi
- Hindi original
- Genre
- Military action, War drama
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Certificate
- U/A
- Director
- Aditya Dhar
- Cast
- Vicky Kaushal, Yami Gautam, Paresh Rawal, Kirti Kulhari, Mohit Raina
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Uri: The Surgical Strike in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Uri: The Surgical Strike is streaming in India on ZEE5 with a subscription.
- Is Uri: The Surgical Strike in Hindi?
- Yes. Uri: The Surgical Strike is a Hindi-language film.
- Is Uri: The Surgical Strike suitable for children?
- Uri: The Surgical Strike has a CBFC U/A certificate, which means children under 12 should watch with a parent or guardian.
- How long is Uri: The Surgical Strike?
- Uri: The Surgical Strike runs for 2 hours 18 minutes (138 minutes).