After intriguing social media users with their impressive casting choices, Aditya Dhar’s Uri has recently launched their teaser. Based on the daredevil surgical strikes executed by the Indian Army in late September, 2016, the movie teaser indicated that the film will hit the silver screens on 11 January 2019.

Starring Vicky Kaushal, Paresh Rawal, Mohit Raina, Yami Gautam and Kirti Kulhari among others, the Uri teaser opened to an overwhelming response by the netizens. As of now, the teaser has managed to gain an impressive popularity of its own, with more than 3.5 million views and 140000+ likes ever since the teaser was released.

However, not everyone was impressed with the Uri teaser. While criticism was not entirely unexpected, the parameters of criticism did surprise, as well as annoy some of the netizens. One such critic is Syed Firdaus Ashraf, who wrote an entire article on the teaser, dismissing it as BJP’s propaganda for 2019 polls. Yes, you heard that right. Uri is not a movie, but a promotional gimmick for the ruling party according to this enlightened journalist.

The very opening lines reeked of the propaganda that is way too notorious with respect to the so called ‘Aman ki Asha’ activists, as noted below:-

“Sarhad par tanav hai kya?

Kuch pata karao chunav hai kya.”

“Rahat Indori’s verse rings true: When it’s the season of war, elections are probably around”

Though his central target was BJP, and the association of one of the main actors, Paresh Rawal with BJP, the author also tried to discredit the surgical strikes as nothing but a mere promotional gimmick for political advantage.

As if this was not enough, he even mocked the surgical strikes with an argument of terror attacks having increased since that incident. Mr. Ashraf ended the article with a paraphrasing of Rahat Indori’s hypocritical verse:

“Bollywood mein desh bhakti ki film chal rahi hai kya, kuch pata karo chunav hai kya.”

Well, for once, I must admit, the chap who wrote this article has researched a lot on facts, unfortunately all of which stand flattened on the altar of facts. Wars are not something to relish every day, but accusing a country of being a war monger even when she isn’t , is plain hypocrisy. The Uri teaser clearly pointed that in our skirmishes with Pakistan, it was always Pakistan who imposed the war on us.

While the association of Paresh Rawal with BJP as their MP may raise a few eyebrows, that doesn’t give a green card of judging a book even before its set for print, forget judging by its cover. Interestingly, Udta Punjab was exploited to the fullest by the opposition in dislodging the ruling Punjab government of that time, even if the fight to reduce the drug menace went for a toss after that. Is that not promotional gimmick, Mr. Ashraf?

While there’s no second thought in the open support that BJP gave to these operations, the strikes were, are and will remain the brainchild of the Indian Army, executed by their daredevil Special Forces’ para commandos. Besides, it was the DGMO, Lt. Gen. Ranbir Singh, who revealed the details first to the public. So if anyone, including Mr. Ashraf is mocking the surgical strikes, terming it as BJP’s propaganda, they’re questioning the valor of the Indian Army, they’re mocking their bravery, and that is not only unprofessional, but also unpardonable.

We do sincerely hope that the movie releases in true letter and spirit, and give opportunistic intellectuals like Mr. Syed Ashraf a fitting reception for his absurd theories, just like Parmanu’s success at the box office. If Parmanu’s ending was a horror for the so called liberals, I’m sure Uri wouldn’t be any less scary than Conjuring for them.