'Shame on Bollywood': 'Operation Sindoor' propaganda film announcement sparks backlash

‘Operation Sindoor’, a new Bollywood title’s official announcement, based on India’s recent military strikes on Pakistan, has sparked a backlash from netizens, forcing the film’s director to issue a written apology.

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On Friday, Indian production house Nicky Vicky Bhagnani Films, in collaboration with The Content Engineer, released the first official poster of ‘Operation Sindoor’, to announce an upcoming movie, based on India’s May 6 and 7 missile attack on six different locations in Pakistan, which resulted in the martyrdom of at least 31 civilians and significant casualties and a befitting response by Pakistan.

However, the debut poster of the title, which sees a female soldier, dressed in an Indian armed forces uniform, applying sindoor (vermilion) on her forehead, was met with severe backlash on social media, with many slamming the insensitive timing of the movie announcement, coinciding with the ongoing war between the neighbouring countries.

Reacting to the post, a social user criticised the makers, noting, “Stop embarrassing yourself and your country,” while another wrote, “Milking an ongoing war, with an AI-generated poster. This is as dystopian as it gets.”

“Shame on you and all of Bollywood for making everything a capitalist opportunity! Operation Sindoor has not even been completed, and you’re out here trying to take advantage of the worrying situation. Praying for karma to teach you a good lesson,” one more comment read.

“Actors and celebrities don’t have the guts to say anything publicly, and they just want to mint money by making a movie on this. Wow, brilliant,” a fourth netizen noted and urged, “Stop encasing on such topics. Height of shamelessness.”

In response, director Uttam Maheshwari of the upcoming film issued a written apology, affirming that the particular project is ‘not for fame and monetisation’.