3 weeks ago
Siddharth Recalls Working With IAF Pilots on 'Operation Safed Sagar'
An actor named Siddharth plays a fighter pilot in a new show called 'Operation Safed Sagar' on Netflix.
While making the show, he got to work with real pilots from the Indian Air Force.
He even got to practice pre-flight checks on a real MiG-21 jet before it was retired.
The show's crew had real pilots fly the MiG jets during filming.
The show is about a real mission called Operation Safed Sagar that happened in 1999.
During that mission, India's Air Force helped the Indian Army fight in the Kargil war.
The mission aimed to remove Pakistani soldiers from Indian positions in the Kargil area.
It was the first big use of airplanes in Jammu and Kashmir since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.
The jets used included MiG-27s, MiG-21s, Mirage 2000s, and Mi-17 helicopters.
The Mirage 2000 jets helped destroy enemy bunkers so Indian Army troops could take back important mountains.
Actor Siddharth shared his experience working with real Indian Air Force pilots on the Netflix series 'Operation Safed Sagar'.
He spoke during promotions in Mumbai's BKC area alongside co-actors Jimmy Shergill, Mihir Ahuja, and Arnav Bhasin.
The crew performed pre-flight checks on an actual MiG-21 before it was retired, becoming the last to handle those machines.
The series depicts the IAF's Operation Safed Sagar, launched on May 26 during the 1999 Kargil war to flush out Pakistani troops from vacated Indian positions.
IAF aircraft including MiG-27s, MiG-21s, Mirage 2000s, and Mi-17 helicopters were deployed; Mirage 2000 strikes helped Indian Army troops recapture strategic heights.
- Who
- Actor Siddharth, along with co-actors Jimmy Shergill, Mihir Ahuja, and Arnav Bhasin, and pilots from the Indian Air Force who assisted the 'Operation Safed Sagar' crew.
- What
- Siddharth shared his experience working with real IAF pilots while filming the Netflix series 'Operation Safed Sagar', which depicts the IAF's 1999 operation during the Kargil war.
- Where
- BKC area of Mumbai, India, for the promotions; the operation took place in the Kargil sector along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
- When
- During promotions for the recently released series; the real Operation Safed Sagar was launched on May 26.
- Why
- To promote the series and highlight its authentic training, including pre-flight checks on a real MiG-21 before it was retired; the real operation aimed to flush out Pakistani troops from vacated Indian positions.
Key facts
- Series
- Operation Safed Sagar
- Streaming platform
- Netflix
- Lead actor (fighter pilot role)
- Siddharth
- Based on
- Indian Air Force's Operation Safed Sagar during the 1999 Kargil war
- Operation launch date
- May 26
- Aircraft deployed
- MiG-27, MiG-21, Mirage 2000, Mi-17 helicopters
- Operation location
- Kargil sector, Line of Control, Jammu and Kashmir
- Promotion event location
- BKC, Mumbai
Quotes
Actor Siddharth
Lead actor playing a fighter pilot in the series
“Our crew has actually had pilots from the Indian Air Force fly MiGs in short. Land MiGs, take‑off MiGs. Who gets all this? So, at that time, if you want to act as a pilot, if you don’t even do that, then, brother, something is very wrong”
thehansindia.com
“The air force also gave us so much. Just imagine you are actually doing your pre‑flight check on an actual Mi‑21 before it was retired. So, we were the last to get our hands on those machines”
thehansindia.com










