Operation Sindoor: Bollywood’s hyper-nationalism amid real-world scars of war
Experts warn against glorifying war as Bollywood’s latest venture sensationalizes military actions and sidelines the human cost of war
MUMBAI (MNTV) – Bollywood’s announcement of Operation Sindoor, a film dramatizing India’s recent attacks in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, has reignited debates on the industry’s penchant for hyper-nationalism and its romanticized portrayals of war.
The project, spearheaded by Nicky Vicky Bhagnani Films and The Content Engineer, draws its name and symbolism from Hindu cultural traditions.
The title sindoor—a mark of marriage and warrior pride—is reflected in the film’s promotional materials, including a poster featuring a female soldier applying vermillion against a backdrop of fighter jets and tanks.
Feminists have criticized the use of the word sindoor.
Hindu nationalism is predominantly driven by a hypermasculine view of the world, said V. Geetha, a feminist historian whose work touches upon gender, caste and class.
“Women figure in it as objects to be protected or as mother figures goading their men to prove their heroism,” Ms. Geetha said.
Writer and journalist Azad Essa also spoke about the reasons underlying the naming of the Indian operation as Operation Sindoor.
“Don’t ignore the symbolism of India’s decision to call this ‘Operation Sindoor.’ Sindoor is red dye a Hindu groom rubs on his bride’s forehead as a symbol of her matrimony. This is fascist Hindu nationalism marking Pakistan as its territory & introducing itself as an empire,” he said.
Media experts argue that it trivializes the realities of war and turns it into a spectacle for profit.
Former Indian Army Chief General Manoj Naravane has voiced strong concerns over such glorification of violence.
Speaking at an event in Pune, he emphasized the harsh realities of war, stating, “War is not romantic. It is not your Bollywood movie. It is very serious business.”
General Naravane underscored the generational scars borne by civilians and soldiers, highlighting the trauma of those living in border areas, many of whom suffer from PTSD.
“War or violence should be the last thing we resort to,” he cautioned, countering the calls for aggressive responses to geopolitical tensions.
The announcement of Operation Sindoor has sparked polarized reactions.
Supporters see it as a tribute to Indian national pride, while detractors criticize it as a commodification of military operations and the suffering they entail.
A film critic argued that Bollywood’s growing trend of sensationalizing conflict risks overshadowing the nuanced discourse on peace and diplomacy.
The timing of the film is particularly contentious, with heightened regional tensions and a resurgence of nationalist fervor in popular media.
Bollywood has played a significant role in whipping up jingoism in India.
Films like Gadar (2001) and its recent sequel Gadar 2, Kashmir Files, Mission Majnu, and many others have been criticized for peddling jingoistic narratives that reduce complex issues to simplistic binaries—“India noble, Pakistan evil; Hindus righteous, Muslims misguided.”
Such portrayals have resonated with audiences, reflecting a troubling shift in the Indian middle class toward embracing or tolerating chauvinism.
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