Archive · 12 Aug 2026
Netflix's Operation Safed Sagar Flag Error Corrected After Veteran's Objection
A soldier who used to be in the Indian Army watched a show on Netflix.
The show is about a real war that happened in 1999, called the Kargil War.
In one scene, the flag of India was shown in the wrong way on a soldier's coffin.
The flag has three colors, and the saffron part should be near the soldier's head.
In the show, the wrong color was shown near the head instead.
The soldier spoke up about the mistake on Instagram.
He asked the people who made the show to fix the scene.
They listened to him and corrected the mistake.
The soldier said the show is very good and it was just a small mistake.
Colonel Vembu Shankar, an Indian Army veteran, flagged an error in the Netflix series Operation Safed Sagar showing the Tricolour incorrectly draped over Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja's coffin.
Shankar said the flag positioning violated the Flag Code of India, since the saffron band should have been placed towards the deceased officer's head, not the green portion.
He expressed shock that Service Headquarters authorities and military advisers had overlooked the error and called for an apology through mainstream media.
Shankar urged producers to edit the scene, noting the mistake appears for less than a second and can be fixed in minutes.
The producers contacted Shankar and corrected the mistake; he praised the series as 'very well made' and inspiring despite the small glitch.
- Who
- Colonel Vembu Shankar, an Indian Army veteran, raised the complaint; the Netflix series makers corrected the error after contacting him.
- What
- An incorrect draping of the Indian Tricolour over Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja's coffin in Operation Safed Sagar was highlighted as a violation of the Flag Code of India and subsequently fixed by the producers.
- When
- Exact date not specified in the articles.
- Where
- On the Netflix series depicting the 1999 Kargil War; the objection was raised by the veteran on Instagram.
- Why
- The saffron band of the flag should have been positioned towards the head of the deceased officer, but the recreated scene reportedly showed the green portion instead.
Strict Flag Code Compliance
Bigger Picture Perspective
Severity of the flag error
Strict Flag Code Compliance
The error violates the Flag Code of India, was overlooked by Service Headquarters authorities and military advisers, and should warrant an apology through mainstream media.
Bigger Picture Perspective
The oversight is a valid learning point but not a deal breaker for a series made to honour Air Force sacrifices; it should not be made into a big issue.
Response to the series
Strict Flag Code Compliance
Take the scene down until the edit is done; the fix is quick since the error appears for less than a second.
Bigger Picture Perspective
Appreciate the veteran's sentiments, write to the makers, but don't ask for the screening to be stopped.
- Series
- Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War (Netflix)
- Subject
- Indian Air Force's Golden Arrows Squadron in the world's highest air operation during the 1999 Kargil War
- Flag Error
- Tricolour draped incorrectly over Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja's coffin, violating the Flag Code of India
- Complainant
- Colonel Vembu Shankar, Indian Army veteran and Shaurya Chakra recipient
- Actors in Scene
- Siddharth (as Ajay Ahuja), Mihir Ahuja (as Baldy), Abhay Verma (as Dhali)
- Outcome
- Producers contacted Shankar and corrected the mistake
- Cast
- Jimmy Shergill, Siddharth, Dia Mirza and others