Kirti on 2 years of ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’: I knew that we were making something very powerful
14/01/2021
Kirti Kulhari played a small but impactful character in Aditya Dhar’s ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’. As the film clocked two years on January 11 this year, ETimes got in touch with the actress for an exclusive interview where she opened up about playing an Air Force pilot, her fondest memories shooting for the film, and more. Excerpts…
It has been two successful years of 'Uri: The Surgical Strike'. How do you look back at the film?
It has been a wonderful experience being a part of this film. I can never forget the response the film had received then. People used to go crazy in the theatres, whistling, hooting, and clapping. When my chopper scene used to come on the screen, people would just go berserk.
Something in the theatres would unite people and it was patriotism. The dialogue ‘How’s the josh’ became very popular and I think it is being used everywhere in the defense now and outside of it as well. That is the success of a film where it has had such a huge impact on people. I am very proud to have played Flight Lieutenant Seerat Kaur. My character has reached people and it has received so much love.
What attracted you to the character of Seerat Kaur?
Firstly, the name matters to me a lot. I have to see if I connect to the name or not. ‘Seerat’ is such a beautiful name that it was a big attraction for me. I belong to the defense family. My dad has served as a commander in the Navy and my sister and brother-in-law are serving in the Army there. The defense has always been so personal to me because I have grown up in it, feeling for it the way they do.
When I was offered this film, I was so thrilled that I would be playing a defense officer. I also have a huge fascination for pilots. I remember telling my dad that I will be playing an Air Force officer. Without even a second thought, he told me that I should certainly do it. The story and the strength that Seerat has in the film is simply beautiful. I just had to play her.
Did you anticipate that the film will get such a huge reception?
I knew that we were making something very powerful. I had a feeling that it will resonate with the people but to this degree was something that bowled all of us over. The response just kept getting bigger and bigger with each passing day. It was phenomenal, the kind of response we got. In fact, during the screening of the film itself, I had a feeling that this is going to be a super-duper hit. It exceeded our expectations in a beautiful way. It is a film that has touched a lot of hearts.
Tell us something about Aditya Dhar. How is he as a director?
He is an absolute sweetheart. He is such a warm and nice person. I feel the relationship between an actor a director is quite delicate. You have to like each other because it makes work so easy.
Aditya is a sorted kind of a director. He has amazing clarity. It makes our job as an actor so much easier. He is patient and collaborative which are qualities of a wonderful director. He is also very passionate as a filmmaker. No wonder he made a film like, ‘Uri: The Surgical Strike’.
What are your fondest memories of the film?
I shot mostly in Serbia. My fondest memories are going to this Air Force base. We were all in uniforms and I used to be the only woman there. It was so surreal. It was as if we had created our own world there. Sometimes it used to be very cold, sometimes it was really warm and then suddenly it used to pour. The weather was very unpredictable.
I really enjoyed the food. There used to be one Indian and one Serbian counter. I was eating Serbian food most of the time. I also remember seeing the Mi-17 for the first time. The first time I wore the pilot’s uniform, it was a dream-come-true moment for me.
I had some very interesting shots, the one where I was running in the rain. It was such a simple shot yet it had so much weight to it. I learnt shooting but the way of holding the pistol was quite different from what I was taught in India. All in all, ‘Uri’ was a fascinating journey for me.
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