Netflix’s upcoming series Operation Safed Sagar brings the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War to the screen, highlighting an operation that supported the Indian Army’s landmark Operation Vijay, states The Hindustan Times.
While Operation Vijay remains widely recognised for India’s victory in the Kargil conflict, Operation Safed Sagar marked the Indian Air Force’s high-altitude aerial campaign to recapture strategic positions in Jammu and Kashmir.
The series recreates the operation in extreme mountain conditions, with much of the filming taking place at altitudes of up to 16,500 feet.
Cast and crew also spent weeks acclimatising at around 13,000 feet before filming began.
Actor Siddharth, who portrays Kargil war hero Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, praised the production team for enduring the harsh conditions.
“My highest altitude was close to 13,000 feet,” he said, adding that many crew members battled altitude sickness during the shoot.
Jimmy Shergill, who also plays an Air Force officer, said the demanding environment tested everyone involved.
“I was there for 10 days. You have to reach a few days before shooting to acclimatise. Many crew members stayed there for one and a half months.
So many of them fell sick, but their passion kept them going,” he said.
Shergill also joked that the series might make high-altitude filming appear easier than it actually is.
“They are going to kill a lot of people after this because they will think, ‘These people shot for one and a half months, we only have to do it for 20 days.’
They won’t survive three days. If someone sends me again, I will run back,” he said with a laugh.
Showrunner and co-creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar said the team had little choice but to film in snowy terrain to remain authentic.
“We had no option. It’s called Safed Sagar, so we had to go where it is all white,” he said.
Siddharth described portraying a fighter pilot as one of the most demanding roles of his career.
He said preparing for the part required extensive training because he had never sat inside a fighter aircraft cockpit before.
“It took much more preparation because I had never been in the cockpit of a plane. The guidance came from the team’s respect for the subject and their technical expertise,” he said.
Created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava and directed by Oni Sen, Operation Safed Sagar also stars Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi.
The series premieres on Netflix on 7 August.
