Operation Safed Sagar: How Nawazuddin Siddiqui Helped Manu Rishi Chadha Get Into The Skin Of Pervez Musharraf

Manu Rishi Chadha had a real person to portray and a complicated chapter of history to navigate in Operation Safed Sagar. As Pervez Musharraf, the former Pakistan Army chief who played a central role in the events surrounding the 1999 Kargil War, the actor had to go beyond simply copying mannerisms.

Speaking to PTI, Chadha said his preparation began with studying available material about Musharraf and watching videos of the former military leader on YouTube. He paid attention to the way Musharraf spoke, moved and carried himself, but eventually realised that impersonation alone would not be enough.

What Did Manu Rishi Chadha Learn From Nawazuddin Siddiqui?

A conversation with Nawazuddin Siddiqui gave Chadha a different way of approaching the role. Chadha recalled meeting Siddiqui when he had gone to narrate a film to him. During their conversation, he asked the actor about his preparation for Manto, in which Siddiqui played writer Saadat Hasan Manto.

According to Chadha, Siddiqui explained that instead of relying on a visual reference, he had read about Manto and trusted director Nandita Das’ understanding of the character. Chadha said he adopted a similar approach for Musharraf, using the information available to him while testing whether the character felt believable on a human level.

Who Does Manu Rishi Chadha Play In Operation Safed Sagar?

In the Netflix series, Chadha plays General Pervez Musharraf, whose decisions form an important part of the narrative around the Kargil conflict. The series does not tell the story only from the political or military command rooms; it also follows the Indian Air Force pilots tasked with operating in some of the most difficult conditions of the war.

The six-episode series centres on the Golden Arrows squadron and its role during Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force’s air campaign during the Kargil War.

About Operation Safed Sagar

Directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War premiered on Netflix on August 7, 2026. The series stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi, alongside Manu Rishi Chadha.

The makers have described the project as an attempt to bring greater attention to the Indian Air Force’s contribution during the 1999 Kargil War, with the production involving research and consultations with Air Force veterans and filming at operational IAF locations.