Bhushan Kumar and Vivek Agnihotri announce their next film, Operation Sindoor

Bhushan Kumar and Vivek Agnihotri Announce New Film ‘Operation Sindoor’, Based on Lt Gen K.J.S. Dhillon’s Book

Mumbai: Producer Bhushan Kumar and filmmaker Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri have joined forces for their next cinematic venture, Operation Sindoor. The film, officially announced on Thursday, draws its title from the codename of India’s targeted military strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, carried out in the aftermath of the 2025 Pahalgam terror attack.

Operation Sindoor will be adapted from the book Operation Sindoor: The Untold Story of India’s Deep Strikes Inside Pakistan authored by Lt Gen K.J.S. ‘Tiny’ Dhillon (Retd), a decorated officer who played a pivotal role in shaping modern counter-terror operations along the western front. Agnihotri, known for his politically charged and historically rooted dramas, will direct the film, while Kumar’s T-Series and Agnihotri’s I Am Budha Productions will jointly produce.

Describing the project as more than a conventional war film, the makers called it a cinematic response to the 2025 Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 people—mostly tourists—lost their lives in a militant attack that sent shockwaves across the nation. They emphasized that the film aims to capture a defining moment of strategic resolve, courage, and precision in India’s military history.

“Some stories are not chosen, they choose you. Operation Sindoor is one such story—one that demands to be told with honesty, courage, and responsibility,” said Bhushan Kumar in a statement. “This is not just a film. It is a revelation. When a nation goes through events of such magnitude, it becomes important to document them truthfully.”

Agnihotri echoed the sentiment, adding, “With Operation Sindoor, India has not just taken revenge for the Pahalgam terror attack and punished Pakistan, but it has also demonstrated its might in modern warfare. We have conducted extensive, ground-level research in collaboration with multiple wings of the Indian Armed Forces to understand not just what happened, but how and why it happened. What emerges is a reality far more complex, far more precise, and far more unsettling than what is available in the public domain.”

The filmmaker, whose previous works include The Kashmir Files, The Tashkent Files, and The Bengal Files, said his focus remains on excavating narratives that are often considered uncomfortable but are necessary for public understanding. “My effort is to bring this story of courage, professionalism, and strategic clarity to audiences with authenticity, while also presenting it as an edge-of-the-seat cinematic experience. My intention is not to create noise, but to confront it with facts, with clarity, and the magic of cinema.”

Operation Sindoor marks the first collaboration between T-Series and I Am Budha Productions on a military-action drama. While the film’s cast and production schedule are yet to be announced, the project has already generated significant interest, given Agnihotri’s track record of translating politically sensitive subjects into commercially successful films.