Archive · 20 Aug 2026
Manu Rishi Chadha Recasts Himself as Musharraf in Safed Sagar
Manu Rishi Chadha is an actor who often gets comic roles.
In a new war drama, he plays Pervez Musharraf, a former leader of Pakistan.
Chadha wanted to show that he can play serious and difficult characters too.
He watched videos of Musharraf to understand how he behaved.
He also spoke with the creators of the show and actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
Chadha decided to play Musharraf quietly instead of making him overly dramatic.
He used pauses and a controlled voice to make the character feel real.
He says the director did not allow him and Vinay Pathak to improvise during performances.
Manu Rishi Chadha plays former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf in Netflix India’s Operation Safed Sagar.
The actor says the role may help him move beyond his long-standing stereotype as a comic performer.
To prepare, Chadha studied Musharraf’s videos and consulted the project’s creators and actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui.
He played Musharraf with restraint, carefully controlled volume, and deliberate pauses rather than exaggerated animation.
Chadha says he and Vinay Pathak were not allowed to improvise while filming scenes between Musharraf and Nawaz Sharif.
- Who
- Actor Manu Rishi Chadha plays Pervez Musharraf, with Vinay Pathak portraying Nawaz Sharif.
- What
- Chadha discussed his preparation and performance in Operation Safed Sagar.
- When
- The interview’s publication date is not stated; the story depicts events connected to the 1999 Kargil War.
- Where
- The project is presented as a Netflix India period war drama.
- Why
- Chadha took the role to portray a different kind of character and move beyond his comic-actor stereotype.
- Project
- Operation Safed Sagar
- Platform
- Netflix India
- Role
- Manu Rishi Chadha plays Pervez Musharraf
- Co-star
- Vinay Pathak plays Nawaz Sharif
- Performance approach
- Stillness, controlled volume, and deliberate pauses
- Improvisation
- Actors could suggest changes before filming but were not allowed to improvise during performances
- Earlier war drama
- Chadha co-wrote and acted in Kya Dilli Kya Lahore (2014)