In 1974 India conducted its first nuclear tests at the firing range in Pokhran. Presented as a so-called "peaceful nuclear explosion" the codeword "The Buddha is smiling" was used to signal the success of the operation. Pokhran-I, or "Operation Smiling Buddha," was followed in 1998 by the nuclear weapon test Pokhran-II and the Indian government declaring itself a nuclear state.

However, the neighboring country of Pakistan had also been developing its own nuclear programme since the early 70s. At the end of May 1998, only weeks after Pokhran-II, Pakistan executed a series of tests codenamed Chagai-I and Chagai-II, bringing the two countries to a permanent nuclear standoff.

This documentary by filmmaker and activist Anand Patwardhan explores a series of interconnected topics related to India's development of nuclear weapons and its conflict with Pakistan, such as the rise of nuclear nationalism, the impact of nuclear tests on Pokhran and surrounding villages, the consequences of uranium mining in Jadugoda, anti-nuclear activism, and the legacy of Hiroshima.