Some shows become more than a story on screen. The new Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar, which dropped on the OTT platform today (Friday, August 7), is one such. At the premiere of the show in Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam a day before (August 6), Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos announced that Operation Safed Sagar, the biggest and most ambitious Netflix India production to date, had contributed over US$24 million (more than Rs 215 crore) to the Indian economy. The production demonstrates “The Netflix Effect”— the tangible impact that Netflix shows and films have beyond the screen by generating employment, supporting local businesses, advancing creative technology and investing in talent, he said.
But beyond the business and the numbers, what made the event a poignant moment for the team of actors-director, was conversations about the real, human stories of grit and courage that inspired the series.
In 1999, the Indian Air Force led one of its toughest high-altitude air campaigns: the historic Operation Safed Sagar during the war between India and Pakistan in Kashmir’s Kargil. Launched to support the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Vijay’, Operation Safed Sagar is widely regarded as India’s first large-scale air power in Kashmir since the Indo-Pak war of 1971 and was aimed at reclaiming strategic positions in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control.
“The Indian Air Force changed the course and direction of the Kargil War with Operation Safed Sagar. The fortitude and fearlessness shown by our air warriors was truly commendable. I applaud the efforts by Netflix and the crew behind the project in telling this story, which also showcases a constructive synergy between cinema and the armed forces on Indian screens,” said Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, who was present at Thursday’s event.
Also present were the chief of defence staff, General NS Raja Subramani, chief of the air staff, Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, chief of the army staff, General Dhiraj Seth and chief of the naval staff, Admiral Krishna Swaminathan.
Looking back at 1999
The operation by No. 17 Squadron, famously known as the “Golden Arrows”, was commanded by Wing Commander BS Dhanoa (who later rose to become the Chief of the Air Staff). He also served as an expert advisor and consultant on the show to ensure accuracy.
Reprising him on screen is actor Jimmy Shergill, who said he was in awe of the man he was playing. “I would just observe him and absorb what he was saying. He is so intelligent and technically so sound, unlike anyone I had ever met,” he gushed.
When asked if he had received Dhanoa’s approval for his portrayal, Shergill said, “I have tried asking him, but it’s all gone over my head. I just hope I have done okay.”
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One of the pivots of the operation was Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who served as Flight Commander of No. 17 Squadron and bravely adjusted his photo reconnaissance mission to locate a downed fellow pilot. His MiG-21 was hit by a Stinger surface-to-air missile. He ejected behind enemy lines and was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.
Actor Sidharth, who reprises him on screen, had this to say about the experience: “This two-year journey on the project has been a constant reminder for me of how insignificant I am as a human being. I had the privilege to wear the uniform of the Indian Air Force and inhabit the life of Ajay Ahuja with the permission of his wife, Alka ji.”
Sidharth continued: “I woke up every morning looking at his pictures and motivating myself to play him with utmost sincerity, to not let him down and, most of all, to get the approval and feedback of his wife, who is sitting here amongst us.”
A scene from the Netflix series.
Among the most emotional of the star cast were the young duo Mihir Ahuja and Abhay Varma, who play Flight Lieutenants Bal Reddy and Dhaliwal. While Ahuja broke down on stage at the premiere, terming the experience of wearing the Air Force overalls, “not a costume but a badge of honour”, Varma termed it the role of a lifetime.
The men behind the soldiers
Beyond the battlefield, the series also explores the lives of the families — the Air Force wives who stood behind the men in uniform—offering an intimate look at their love, unwavering support and quiet courage that became the wind beneath the wings of the air warriors.
Dia Mirza, who plays Kamalpreet Dhanoa, called it “an honour of a lifetime”. “The quality I found so profound about her was her empathy.”
However, it was actor Amrita Bagchi’s emotional tribute to Alka Ahuja, wife of martyred officer Ajay Ahuja, which moved the audience and drew the biggest applause. “Your resilience is commendable. After such a big loss, all of us, with grief in our hearts, go home, but you have gone back to the life you shared with him—his sweater, his glasses, his scooter, his uniform. I think it is an entirely different level of resilience to not get embittered by what you have been dealt, to not feel any hatred. It’s incredible.”
For director Oni Sen, while the project was technically challenging, his focus, he insisted, was always on getting the emotions right. “If you don’t feel, there is no point in being technically sound.”
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Introducing a light note to an otherwise poignant event, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, chief of the air staff, while complimenting the authenticity of the show, shared how the series transported him “in time to the pre-war days in the squadron. My wife joked that our rations would finish whenever the bachelors would come to bounce (hang out) at the house,” he joked.
That bouncing scene, according to Sen, had been among the toughest for him to shoot. “You realise these are young men with faces and names (and not just soldiers). They are human, and getting that emotional vibe right was the toughest part,” he explained.