New Delhi: Nicky Vicky Bhagnani Films, in collaboration with The Content Engineer, has officially announced Operation Sindoor, a film based on India’s military response following the Pahalgam attack.
The project draws inspiration from the real-life operation of the same name, carried out by Indian Armed Forces on the night of May 6–7, which targeted nine ‘terror camps’ in Pakistan and Pakistan-adminidtered Kashmir, neutralising several terrorists.
According to NDTV and News18, the film’s title, Operation Sindoor, carries layered cultural and symbolic meaning. In Hindu tradition, sindoor (vermilion) is a mark of marriage, typically worn by women or applied as a tilak by warriors.
The symbolism is closely linked to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, where militants targeted tourists killing 26, including a local horse operator who lost his life while fighting the attacker to save the tourists’ life.
The film’s poster features a female soldier seen from behind, in uniform, holding a rifle while applying sindoor to her hair parting.
The imagery is set against a background of tanks, barbed wire, and fighter jets, underscoring military conflict. The word “Sindoor” in the title appears in bold, with the second “O” replaced by a smear of vermillion.
The phrase “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” in tricolour accompanies the title.
Directed by Uttam Maheshwari, the film’s cast has not yet been announced. The producers have described the project as rooted in recent events and national security operations, promising an emotionally intense storyline.
Last week, while speaking at an event in Pune former Indian Army chief General Manoj Naravane slammed questions being raised on the suspension of hostilities between India and Pakistan, saying war is not romantic and is not a Bollywood movie.
Speaking at an event in Pune, General Naravane said if ordered, he would go to war, but diplomacy would be his first choice.
He said there is trauma among people living in the border areas, including children who have seen shelling and have to run to shelters at night, as reported by NDTV.
“For those who have lost their loved ones, that trauma will be carried through generations. There’s also something called PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). People who have seen gruesome scenes wake up sweating even after 20 years and need psychiatric care,” he said.
General Naravane was speaking at a programme organised by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.
“War is not romantic. It is not your Bollywood movie. It is very serious business. War or violence should be the last thing we should resort to, which is why our Prime Minister said this is not an era of war. Although war will be forced upon us by unwise people, we should not cheer for it,” he was quoted as saying.
“Still, people are asking why we have not gone for a full-out war. As a military man, if ordered, I will go to war, but that will not be my first choice,” the former Indian Army Chief said.
General Naravane said his first choice would be diplomacy, settling differences through dialogue and not reaching the stage of armed conflict.
