Filmmakers try to cash in on India-Pakistan battle

Indian filmmakers are locking up the rights to movie titles that can profit from the patriotism fanned by a four-day conflict with Pakistan, which killed more than 70 people.

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The nuclear-armed rivals exchanged artillery, drone and air strikes in May, after India blamed Pakistan for an armed attack on tourists in Kashmir.

The fighting came to an end when US President Donald Trump announced a surprise ceasefire.

Now, some Bollywood filmmakers see an opportunity to cash in on the battle.

India tagged its military action against Pakistan "Operation Sindoor", the Hindi word for vermilion, which married Hindu women wear on their foreheads.

The name was seen as a symbol of Delhi's determination to avenge those widowed in the April 22 attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, which sparked the hostilities.

Film studios have registered a slew of titles evoking the operation, including: “Mission Sindoor”, “Sindoor: The Revenge”, “The Pahalgam Terror”, and “Sindoor Operation”.

"It's a story which needs to be told," said director Vivek Agnihotri.

"If it was Hollywood, they would have made 10 films on this subject. People want to know what happened behind the scenes," he told reporters.

Agnihotri struck box office success with his 2022 release, "The Kashmir Files", based on the mass flight of Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s.