Pahalgam is still bleeding.
It’s been just over two weeks since 26 lives—many of them tourists, children, and families—were wiped out in the blood-soaked terror strike that shook Jammu and Kashmir. The families of the victims are still counting their dead, clutching to photos, to clothes that still carry their loved ones' scent. Meanwhile, on the borders, India’s Operation Sindoor continues. Our soldiers remain in high alert mode. Their feet blistered from patrol, rifles aimed, adrenaline high—not for a scene, not for the camera—but for real. The mission is not over.
And yet, even before the smoke could clear, Bollywood has done what it does best—smelled box office gold.
Over 30 applications for titles like Operation Sindoor, Mission Sindoor, Sindoor Ka Badla, and Hindustan Ka Sindoor have flooded film industry desks in just two days. Major names—Suniel Shetty, Aditya Dhar, Madhur Bhandarkar, T-Series—are already queuing up to claim titles. Earlier in the day, it was reported that Reliance Industries Limited and five others approached the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trademarks to register the name Operation Sindoor for use in entertainment-related services such as audio and video content.
Reliance Industries later withdrew its application, clarifying that it was “inadvertently filed by a junior employee without authorisation.”
Let that sink in.
Not even a fortnight has passed since body bags returned from Pahalgam. Not a single martyr’s child has healed. Yet, the race is on—to own the name, the operation, the grief. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association confirms it. “This happens every time,” they say. It happened after Kargil. After Uri. After Pulwama.
Because for some in Bollywood, war becomes a storyline, patriotism a marketing pitch, and sacrifice just another scene in the script.
Sure, it isn’t wrong to make films inspired by the bravery of our armed forces. In fact, stories of valor deserve to be told, truthfully, with heart. Uri: The Surgical Strike did just that. It moved people. It inspired.
But where is the line?
The operation is still happening. Intelligence agencies are still intercepting threats. Army convoys are still under risk. Drones are being shot down. Real missiles are flying over cities like Pathankot and Srinagar.
And Bollywood wants to trademark the name?
Let the forces finish their mission. Let the victims heal from their trauma. Let the grief breathe.
Because when the cameras eventually roll, and the heroes on-screen scream “How’s the josh?”, we will remember that the real heroes had to fight with silence, with blackout advisories, with no PR team, no lighting crew, and no cut-to-retake moments.
If Bollywood wants to honour the forces, it needs to understand timing is everything. Not just in film—but in empathy.
Follow us
