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Operation Valentine has emerged as the first aerial action thriller film from the Telugu film industry. Unlike the usual South Indian films, this film has been filmed in Hindi and not in the local language. Due to this, it has become the first Hindi film of the film’s lead actor Mega Prince Varun Tej. On the other hand, Pratap Singh Hada has made his directorial debut through this film. Both these things make this film different from others. The story of this film has been written inspired by the real events that took place during the Balakot airstrike after India’s Pulwama attack in 2019. Basically, it narrates the story of a secret operation carried out by the Indian Air Force.
The audience had some questions about this film, the most prominent of which was that the basis and theme of Bollywood’s ‘Fighter’ and the Telugu film industry’s ‘Operation Valentine’ are the same. Experts believe that both the films were also being produced simultaneously and both the films were released at almost the same time. But it is difficult to say how two films were made by two different industries at the same time on the same basis. But the audience has not one but two options to watch the best aerial action thriller scenes. Anyway, let us look at other aspects of the review of ‘Operation Valentine’.
Summary Of The Story of ‘Operation Valentine’
Arjun Dev (Varun Tej) is a wing commander in the Indian Air Force. He loses his friend Kabir (Navdeep) during the testing of Project Vajra, which leaves him deeply saddened. After this incident, the project is stopped for a few years. Later he (Varun Tej) rejoined the Indian Air Force as a test pilot. On the other hand, Arjun’s wife is Ahana Gill (Manushi Chhillar) who is a radar officer. But their relationship is strained, as Ahana is worried about Arjun’s carelessness and fear for his safety.
On the other hand, there is a terrorist attack in Srinagar and Pakistan is behind it. After this incident, preparations have started from the Indian side to take retaliatory action by the Indian Air Force. Many excellent and experienced pilots and other concerned officers are called for this operation. Here Arjun and Ahana have to work together even if they do not want to.
And in this way, the story starts moving towards its climax. But there are many such questions whose answers you will get after watching the film. Like, how does India plan to retaliate? Will the help of Project Vajra be taken in the attack? Will Ahana and Arjun’s relationship improve? Will Arjun be victorious? Will Arjun and his companions be able to return to Jind or will they be martyred? And many more questions!
About the director of ‘Operation Valentine’
The director of the film “Operation Valentine” is Shakti Pratap Singh Hada. This is the first film directed by Shakti Pratap Singh Hada. Let us know what kind of work he has done for this film. Shakti Pratap Singh Hada stepped into the director’s chair for the first time with “Operation Valentine”. As a debutant director, he took up the challenge of handling a film that combined patriotism, action, and emotional depth. At the same time, this choice of subject matter became more challenging for him as he needed to depict real-life incidents related to the Indian Air Force with great accuracy and sensitivity.
He took great care in depicting military operations and aerial combat scenes, which proves his fidelity to his work. The director also paid attention to balancing different genres, including core genres like action, romance, and patriotism. What is worth noting is that these styles have been balanced while maintaining the pace of the film. But there were some cases where there was scope for improvement. While almost all the actors in the film have given strong performances, some characters could have been developed further. On the other hand, attention should also have been paid to the narrative pace. The pace of the film in the first half of the film has received mixed reviews. However, the director could have made more efforts to keep the pace of the film constant.
In short, Shakti Pratap Singh Hada’s first effort, “Operation Valentine” was slightly above average with some room for growth. But before reaching any conclusion, it is important to understand that everyone’s way of thinking and working is different. How Hada portrays his power of imagination will be known only by watching his upcoming films. Only after this should their work be criticized or praised. However, the work done by him in “Operation Valentine” is praiseworthy.
Star Cast and their Performance in the movie ‘Operation Valentine’
Varun Tej as Wing Commander Arjun “Rudra” Dev Singhania:
Varun Tej has played the role of an excellent fighter pilot very well and with confidence. Arjun’s character in the film is portrayed as a military pilot with a rebellious spirit and determination who doesn’t care about rules in times of need. And Varun Tej has given his life to bring this character alive, for which he has to be appreciated. Be it romance or high-octane aerial combat sequences, Varun remained dominant throughout the film.
Manushi Chhillar as Wing Commander Ahana Gill:
“Operation Valentine” is Manushi Chhillar’s first Tollywood film. In this film, she played the role of Ahana Gill, a command center officer of the Indian Air Force. As the lead female actor, she has given the same beautiful and commendable performance that everyone was expecting. The way the filmmaker wanted to show the struggle of a female soldier to balance personal and professional life, Manushi has played it very well.
Ruhani Sharma as Tanya Sharma:
An important character of the film is Tanya Sharma, whose importance is not as much as that of the main characters, but is quite important. It has been played by Ruhani Sharma. She has been successful in playing her character well. The chemistry of Ruhani Sharma and Varun Tej has also been added to the film, which increases the interestingness of the film. Perhaps this is why the audience has also praised Rouhani. Needless to say, Rouhani has proved his acting ability through this film.
Paresh Pahuja as Yash Sharma:
Paresh Pahuja plays the role of Yash Sharma who is another squadron leader. His character in the film holds great importance. His contribution has been shown in maintaining harmony within the team.
Navdeep Pallapolu as Wing Commander Kabir Singh:
Navdeep plays the role of Wing Commander Kabir Singh, who was Rudra and Ahana’s partner in the past. Flashback sequences of the film show his performance when he became Shahid. Kabir was a character who had a sense of loyalty and sacrifice and was also willing to die for his friends and country. Navdeep has played this character very well.
Shataf Figaar as Air Marshal Rajeev Bakshi:
Shataf Figaar is seen as a senior Air Force officer in the film. He has played the role of a senior officer before also, but in this film, his demeanor felt a bit light for an Air Force officer. Still, his work can be praised.
Sampath Raj as Air Commodore Mayank Mhatre:
Sampat Raj looked fantastic as a senior officer. His authoritative presence while interacting with the main characters and making important decisions gave the film the atmosphere people were expecting.
In short, the other supporting cast of “Operation Valentine” have also given commendable performances. Barring one or two exceptions, all the actors impressed on screen.
Why should one watch the Movie, ‘Operation Valentine’?
Well-planned aerial action and edge-of-the-seat editing:
Good work has been done on choreography and VFX in the film. The action sequences have been placed neatly one after the other so that there is no feeling of anything being missed in between. Besides, a lot of attention has also been paid to facial and emotional expressions according to the scenes. For these reasons, the film seems alive and these scenes keep you tied to your seat.
Chemistry of Varun Tej and Manushi Chhillar:
The on-screen chemistry between Varun Tej and Manushi Chhillar is a highlight. Their interactions and love-fights amidst great action and other action scenes add depth to the story.
Clear story and precise script:
“Operation Valentine” is a simple and clearly outlined story. Because of this, you do not get bored while watching the film and the story progresses smoothly towards its climax. The script of the film plays a vital role in keeping the audience engaged throughout the film.
Powerful background music and sound design:
According to the filmmaker, the film features better background music and sound design than recent Tollywood releases. Because of this music, important scenes have an overall impact on the audience. Now I leave it to you to decide whether its background music and sound design is really good or average.
“Operation Valentine” also has many positive points, including charming performances, thrilling action, and well-executed technical aspects. However, some critics and audiences have also seen some flaws in it. Therefore it can be said that there are mixed opinions on these points.
Why should one not watch the Movie, ‘Operation Valentine’?
Like every film, this film also has some weak elements which could have been further improved. Let us take a look at those weak links in this Telugu film “Operation Valentine”, due to which it was not as successful as expected.
Script:
Although the script of “Operation Valentine” is fine. However, some viewers found that it lacked engaging storytelling, which affected the overall flow of the film. If we look at it from a critical point of view, it has received mixed reactions from people.
Weak emotional connection:
Although there are many emotional scenes in the film, they lack depth, which could have been increased. The audience was not able to connect deeply with the characters of the film or the struggles they faced. There is a lack of intimacy in this.
Weak climax:
According to many critics, the climax of the film is its weakest link. The climax of the film proved unsuccessful in leaving a lasting impression as a memorable film forever. The audience did not get as much thrill as they expected at the end of the film.
Predicted Story:
Since the plot of “Operation Valentine” was inspired by true and recent events, it follows a somewhat predictable trajectory. Viewers who remembered the actual event had already guessed what might happen next. Although attempts have been made to keep the story interesting by adding some unexpected twists and unseen aspects, these efforts have not been that effective.
Lack of songs:
Music serves as an integral part of Indian cinema. But there is a lack of songs in this film. But it could also be a sign that the Indian film industry is now moving towards songless films, as is often the case with Hollywood films. While some viewers might have been disappointed by this, many viewers who simply enjoy the film might have been happy.
While “Operation Valentine” has several weaknesses, it is still worth a watch. These are flaws that can be overlooked when you have VFX to rival Hollywood, good aerial action, and a sense of patriotism all in one.
Technical aspects of the film “Operation Valentine”
Let’s look at various technical aspects of the film “Operation Valentine”.
Cinematography (Hari K. Vedantam):
The reason you decide to watch the movie is because of the air strike scenes shown in it. If these aerial scenes and war scenes are not attractive to watch then no viewer can turn towards them. The filmmakers were well aware of this and hence they hired Hari K for the cinematography. Vedantam is included in the team. Vedantam has done commendable camera work. From ordinary scenes to the thrill of aerial combat and the dangers of the battlefield, he has captured all the scenes with precision.
The background score (Mickey J. Meyer):
As we have discussed above, the background score of the film is quite good, and it was composed by Mickey J. The mayor. While the soundtrack received mixed reviews.
Production Design (Avinash Kolla):
Avinash Kolla has handled the production design. Although not particularly memorable, it plays an important role in setting the scene for the film.
Editing (Naveen Nooli):
Naveen Nooli has edited the film in such a way that the pace of the story is maintained and the audience does not get bored. A tight story and pace keep the audience engaged, especially during the action sequences. However, some critics believe that the film could have been paced more by shortening some of the scenes.
Dialogue (Sai Madhav Burra):
Sai Madhav Burra has worked on the dialogues of the film. The dialogues of the film reflect the essence of patriotism, but there was definitely scope for improvement in the thought-provoking writing.
Visual Effects (VFX):
The film relies on visual effects to depict aerial combat and military operations. Although some of the VFX sequences are impressive, there are occasional inconsistencies in quality. Balancing realism with cinematic spectacle is a challenge, and the film mostly succeeds in this aspect.
