Varun Tej has been scrambling for quite some time for a hit that he can claim for himself. The F2 movies may have done well, but there are several claimants to its success. Gaddalakonda remains his last decent commercial earner. Keeping up with the spirit of nationalism that seems to have Indian cinema in its grip, Varun Tej’s Operation Valentine is based on Pulwama attack and Indian Air Force’s subsequent response to it — a subject that was referenced in Hrithik Roshan’s recent film Fighter.
The film begins with visuals of a major terrorist operation being planned in Kashmir. Manushi Chillar plays Aahana Gill, a wing commander in the Indian Air Force who shares a turbulent past with our hero, fighter plane pilot Arjun Dev (Varun Tej). The last time they worked together, their close friend, a pilot, died due to Arjun’s aggression.
As the story moves back and forth revealing the stages of their relationship and their problems, the terrorist plan takes shape and is finally carried out at an Indian Army camp. Arjun, who is in the air at the time, watches the devastation and goes to attack the Pakistani Air Force while ignoring orders to stand down. Amid plans to retaliate, another plan of the enemy is revealed. How this attack is foiled, and Arjun’s role in it forms the rest of the story.
What appears like a plausible story with emotions riding high and patriotic is lost in translation. The troubled past of Arjun is never established; the relationship between Kabir (Navdeep) and Arjun remains sketchy and the rift between Arjun and Aahana is never clearly shown.
The film is all about a terrorist attack and the retaliation by the Indian forces. While we see the action in the air and the way a war room functions, what’s missing is the human story, the people behind the borders they are protecting. If we cannot see what’s at stake, how do we appreciate the effort or sacrifice? One of the few moments when you are with the film comes when a retired Indian army person hijacks Pakistani radio signals and plays a love song.
Varun Tej works hard and performs well in the lead role. Manushi’s role is ill defined and feels constricted. Navdeep is almost entirely edited out, remaining only as a memory in the photo, which is a shame. A few other names also appear in the credits, but are missing in the film. Shataf Figar, Sampath Raj, Anish Yohan perform adequately. Ruhani Sharma comes and goes with not much screen space to properly register. Mickey J Meyer’s music works in parts. The graphic work appears patchy. Production values leave a lot to be desired.
Operation Valentine movie cast: Varun Tej, Manushi Chillar, Ruhani Sharma Paresh Pahuja, Sampath Raj
Operation Valentine movie director: Shakti Pratap Singh Hada
Operation Valentine movie rating: 1.5 stars
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