New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said there has been a positive exchange between the Indian armed forces and the film industry as he lauded the makers of Netflix’s new series “Operation Safed Sagar” for portraying the real glory of soldiers with authenticity and respect.
In a special video message played at the show’s premiere event at Bharat Mandapam here, Singh congratulated the makers for bringing one of the country’s defining military operations to the screen.
“I am glad to see that today there is a positive exchange between Indian defence and cinema. There is an attempt to portray the real glory of our soldiers with the same respect and authenticity that they deserve. This increases the honour of our soldiers and encourages the love for the nation among the youth,” Singh said.
“Operation Safed Sagar” is an eight-part drama inspired by the Indian Air Force’s role during the 1999 Kargil War. It is set to premiere on Netflix on Friday.
Created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava and directed by Oni Sen, the show chronicles the IAF’s aerial campaign. It presents the journey of the Golden Arrows Squadron, a group of young fighter pilots undertaking high-altitude combat missions while grappling with the personal and emotional costs of war.
Singh said the IAF changed the course of the Kargil conflict through Operation Safed Sagar.
“Before 1999, no other air force in the world had conducted a combat operation above 15,000 to 19,000 feet. Our air warriors showcased extraordinary courage during that operation and the attempt is to take forward that courage, that bravery and that legacy to the next generation,” Singh said.
He also said taking the story of the Kargil War to a global audience through the Netflix show was a significant achievement.
Singh said the series would definitely resonate with younger audiences while showcasing India’s resolve to defend its sovereignty.
“I firmly believe that this story of Operation Safed Sagar would be loved by our youth and this series will tell the country and the world that India may be a peace loving nation but if someone challenges our sovereignty and honour, our army will respond to that with complete strength and determination,” he said.
Produced by Matchbox Shots and Feel Good Films, the series stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza, Abhay Verma, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi.
The premiere was attended by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General N S Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, Air Force Families Welfare Association president Sarita Singh and Veer Nari Alka Ahuja, wife of the late Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
They were joined by Indian Air Force veterans, members of the Golden Arrows Squadron, whose story inspired the series, and the cast and creators of “Operation Safed Sagar”.
Air Chief Marshal Singh described the series as being “very close to reality”, saying it faithfully recreates life in an Indian Air Force squadron in the lead-up to the Kargil conflict despite taking some creative liberties.
“My personal take on this is that it is very close to reality. Yes, there will be a little bit of creative liberties but the way it has been portrayed, the pre-war days, they have come out quite realistic and took us back to our old days in the squadron and how things were,” he said.
He said Operation Safed Sagar marked a turning point in modern air warfare as the IAF carried out bombing missions at altitudes of 16,000 to 18,000 feet, something unprecedented at the time.
While books have documented the operation, he said a series such as this would bring its story to a much wider audience.
“There is enough literature available. But to make a series like this, I think, this is what is going to make it reach the common man. And I am sure, not only just in India, but around the world, entire Indian community, whenever they watch this, they will be very proud of the Indian Air Force and the Indian defence forces,” he said.
Air Chief Marshal Singh also said military operations are often remembered only for their visible outcomes, while the contribution of thousands of personnel working behind the scenes goes unnoticed.
He gave the example of Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
“In actual life, what we see is the front face of the whole thing. Tip of the spear is what we get to see…. People who actually work on the ground, people who actually do those missions, people who actually plan and execute those things… for all 1,70,000 people that we have in the Indian Air Force.
“And then everybody looks at A P Singh and claps and says, ‘Oh, this is the person who did that.’ But this is what happens,” the IAF chief said.
He stressed that the series captures only one chapter of the IAF’s contribution during the Kargil War.
“This story is about one particular squadron which took part in that operation. There were many squadrons which took part… It is not the entire story. It is a part of the story that we are seeing.
“And this is good enough for people to understand what was happening at that time,” he said. PTI RB ZMN
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