Declassified: Operation Sindoor- An Authentic Documentary Finally
The documentary highlights the most synchronized work between the three wings of the defence forces ever.
NewsBharati 27-Aug-2026 11:51:54 AM
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Much has been written and said about Operation Sindoor. The finest and most surgical of all the wars fought by Indian forces has been discussed on many TV debates and podcasts. Some books and podcasts are by retired senior commanders and generals, and sometimes defence experts. There are sceptics, especially politicians, who have raised unnecessary doubts about its impact. It needed an authentic response to let Bharatiyas know what actually happened during those fateful 90 hours, for which days of 24x7 planning to give a hard response continued from the day the Pahalgam terror attack took place.
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Image- Indulge Express
There have been some documentaries based on information garnered from various sources, but not directly from the people who led Operation Sindoor victoriously. Here comes an authentic documentary based on declassified documents and the story told by the real-life characters who actually were part of this operation. We have generals, heads of various divisions, Airforce and Naval chiefs speaking on camera for the first time and telling the story of the glorious chapter in the annals of Indian security forces. It has one of the rare appearances of the legendary NSA of Bharat Shri Ajit Dobhal explaining the doctrine of deterrence. It needs to be mentioned that it is for the first time that Ajit Dobhal ji has spoken about this operation. This is the icing on the cake.
Operation Sindoor was not a generic war; it was a live exhibit of what Bharat is capable of to punish the perpetrators of terror and their promoters. As one of the senior officers says, “It is a trailer”, and another commander of the forces adds, “It is a cessation of hostilities, not a ceasefire.” A general says, “Any enemy in the future will pay twice the price that they have paid this time.” It is inspiring to hear many such words from our leading warriors. They do not dramatize; they say what they do and intend to do.
Prime Minister Modi gave them clear direction: “Woh goli marein, to aap gola maro.” The operational word was ‘total dominance’ of land, sea and air. The narration is crisp, the language used by the senior commanders or leaders of this limited war is professional, but so sharp that you believe each word and understand why we are such a formidable force.
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Still from the documentary
The documentary highlights the most synchronized work between the three wings of the defence forces ever. Not many know that the Indian Navy was used as a vital pressure point throughout this entire duration, choking the Pakistani navy and pushing it into a corner. The scare was so real that the enemy worried if the Indian Navy would bomb Karachi. Due to unpredictable and more than expected retaliation, it looked a distinct possibility.
The terror attack took place on April 22, 2025, and Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 at 1.05 hrs on every front -air, land, and sea. It is a lesson in military strategy that despite Pakistan knowing that punishment would be delivered, they could not guess what would hit them, nor was their military ready for this multi-dimensional war. The operation was planned with an escalation matrix firmly in place. The Air Force chief comments in the documentary, “Everything we touched was turning to gold.” As you witness the entire operation from the front seat, you realise it was not by chance or coincidence, but a result of precise planning over those days. You watch spellbound as the military might through its imported to indigenized to indigenous defence systems. The world had no clue how our indigenous systems deliver; it was shocked.
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Still from the documentary
The documentary is in two parts. The first part gives you the story from the ghastly Pahalgam terror attack to the discussions, decisions, and preparations, and ends on the D-day, rather night, with fingers on the trigger; and all the top defence chiefs sitting at one place in front of the big screens watching each target live as the operation launches. The second part unleashes the operation in all its ferocity over 90 hours. As a reviewer, the only crib I have is that this documentary could have helped clear the air about gossip going around the loss of Indian and Pakistani aircraft. Losing one’s assets during war is not a sin; the outcome is critical. And we achieved all the objectives with minimal cost of men and material. But I am just a layperson, so I trust there are reasons behind it.
Real-life footage, some partly seen earlier, some released for the documentary by the authorized sources, is curated well. Photography is top class; the atmosphere of gravity of that period is captured well. To me, the generals and their heads of the divisions speaking with authority and clarity are the best parts of this documentary. They are awesome in every sense.
ALSO READ: Operation Sindoor: India’s new doctrine against terror
Sparklework Films deserves compliments for making this remarkable documentary. Writer, producer, and director duo – Manika Berry Asgaonkar and Prabhu Asgaonkar have written and directed the story very well. Cinematography by Kumar Subramaniyan and Praveen Kumar Pandit lifts the film, as does the background score that makes the film viewing throbbing. Many times, a documentary becomes a bit flat as there is no drama, no chance of ‘creativity’ to make the audience glued to the screen. The reason is the unimaginably audacious planning and execution of Operation Sindoor. Just as a general says, “It is important to know when to stop a war”, it is equally important to know when to call a ‘cut’ while making a documentary.
Look out for the release of Declassified: Operation Sindoor on 15th August 14, 2026, being premiered at 9 pm with a rerun at 11 pm on Discovery and Discovery+ platforms.
Ratan Sharda
Ratan Sharda has been awarded a PhD for his thesis on RSS. He is an author, columnist and renowned TV panelist. He has written 9 books of which 7 are on RSS, one on Guru Nanak Dev and one on Disaster Management; translated two books about RSS – The Incomparable Guruji Golwalkar and M S Golwalkar: His Vision and Mission, from Hindi to English; written by the foremost RSS thinker Shri Ranga Hari. He has edited/designed 12 books.
His most popular books on RSS are RSS360 degree, Sangh & Swaraj, RSS – Evolution from an Organisation to a Movement, Prof Rajendra Singh Ki Jeevan Yatra and Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way.
Ratan Sharda has travelled extensively in and outside Bharat. He was jailed during 1975-77 in the days of Emergency. He was an ERP consultant for two decades in addition to varied industrial experience of 2 decades. He was the founder secretary of Vishw Kendra (Centre for International Studies), Mumbai for eight years. He is an advisor to many educational institutions and voluntary organisations.