Operation Valentine
Operation Valentine a high-octane, adrenaline pumping action drama. It was inspired by the ruthless killing of 40 Indian soldiers by Pakistani forces in Kashmir’s Pulwama in 2019. The movie closely follows Indian Air Force’s retaliation after the Pulwama attack.
But all this action comes just before the curtains fall for intermission. That means it is a good 60 minutes into the movie with a run time of 130. The film is directed by Shakti Pratap Singh Hada. The film was released in Hindi and Telugu. It does avoid some of the pitfalls of popular, market-driven cinema.
Varun Lives His Character
Varun Tej headlined the primary character, Indian Air Force officer Arjun Rudra Dev Singhania. He impressively toned down his character’s heroic demeanor. We see a rather subdued Varun. At the same time we witness Arjun, who is prone to irritability, temper and a raging passion to right what he considers wrongs. But he is never allowed to go overboard.
Graphics Well Done
The movie title, Operation Valentine, is the code name for the India’s attack on Pakistan’s Balakot. The film is full of daredevil stunts by Indian fighter jets. A good measure of computer graphics was done in the film, but interestingly it does not look like computer graphics. Credit also has to be given to the photography by Hari K Vedantam.
Where Operation Failed!
But all is not great in the movie. It falters due to its tendency to stray from the focal point. The script weaves a story between Arjun and Aahana Gill into the narrative, but rather clumsily. Manushi brings a degree of authenticity to her character, as her pleasing looks helps her along. In reality, they are not lovers, but husband and wife. She, also part of the Indian Air Force, lives the life of a nervous wreck due to his callous actions. His actions once very nearly costs him his life. A rebel, he is, as his boss quips, “a pain in the ass”.
“Yodha” Promises High-Octane Action
Not A Love Story
We witnessed great love stories from Hollywood which happened against the backdrop of great wars. “Gone with the Wind” is an enthralling romance that takes place during the American Civil War. Similarly “Casablanca” happens at the time of World War II. But they were never promoted as war movies, Operation Valentine is. Admittedly, there is a fair deal of Pakistan bashing. But it is not like some other films, this is more subtle and avoids demonizing our neighbor to a large extent.
Final Verdict
Operation Valentine has its high moments. These moments keep the film flying along with the jets as they move in and out of clouds. The movie weaves different narratives through icy mountain peaks.
