AGGRESSION/ REVENGE
This movie has has been running packed houses and it a surprise that a movie with open violence has been so successful .
Here the protagonist is an intelligent brave courageous man who cares enough to ensure that his men are not sacrificed during war.It is also the story of personal revenge as the protagonist played by the talented vicky Kaushal loses his friend ,team member and brother in law to militants in a vicious attack on their camp. Here the basic rules of war have been breached with the enemy attacking unprepared indian soldiers by masquerading as Indian troops.
The rules are clear ..THERE ARE NO RULES…its jungle rule…
Rules are often created by society to regulate uncontrolled aggression among men as described by Freud the father of Psychoanalysis in his book Civilization and its discontents . So when rules are broken it can sometime lead to guilt and punishment.However man is innately aggressive just like animals.If attacked he would like to retaliate but civility and laws hold him back and a legal system delivers the justice.Sometimes it takes long and sometimes it never happens and can lead to possible emotional symptoms which is often very crippling .
Here the protagonist has a free run supported by the government ,his organization and his team who he has mobilized to “take revenge”for their personal loses of colleagues. The movie runs through this theme eventually allowing the protagonist to take revenge.
unlike other movies of revenge, where there is a fear of the law ,here revenge is validated and celebrated (the last dinner with the prime minister). what is missing is fear and guilt which has become an innate part of civil society .
To my understanding the movie was loved because it is an experience of being able to unleash your aggression and potential without any guilt .