Declassified Operation Sindoor: How filmmakers got Ajit Doval, military brass on camera

Operation Sindoor, the subject of Discovery's recent two-part documentary, was a military operation conducted by India in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The documentary, which premiered on Independence Day, aims to reconstruct the operation through the firsthand accounts of those involved in planning and execution, including senior military officials and frontline personnel.

The series, which premiered on Discovery and discovery+ on August 15, features National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Air Chief Marshal A. P. Singh, former Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and other key figures. The filmmakers, Prabhu Asgaonkar and Manika Berry, emphasized the importance of getting the "pulse of the operation" by speaking directly to those at the center of the action, rather than relying on second-hand accounts.

One of the biggest challenges was securing interviews with the top brass, but the filmmakers' experience working on military content and their personal connections with service members helped build trust. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's participation was a major breakthrough, as he provided a strategic perspective that gave the documentary a broader context beyond just military events.

The documentary was built around the personal stories of those involved, and the filmmakers worked to capture their emotions and the human impact of the operation. Discovery was a natural choice for distribution due to the network's prior experience with military documentaries and the filmmakers' existing relationships with military personnel.