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Why Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar Honors Raju Srivastava
Operation Safed Sagar is a Netflix show about the Indian Air Force during the 1999 Kargil War.
Each episode thanks comedian Raju Srivastava.
Raju was the uncle of the show’s creator, Kushal Srivastava.
When Kushal was young, Raju took him to film sets and explained what directors do.
This helped Kushal decide that he wanted to make films.
Raju later helped Kushal leave the Air Force and pursue filmmaking.
He also helped the project’s team reach important people through his connections.
The project was first planned as a movie but became a series after COVID-19 caused a setback.
Raju knew about the project but died before he could watch the finished show.
Every episode of Netflix’s six-part Operation Safed Sagar ends with a tribute to late comedian Raju Srivastava.
Raju was the paternal uncle of creator Kushal Srivastava and encouraged his move from the Indian Air Force into filmmaking.
Kushal said Raju helped him secure permission to leave the Air Force and used his network to connect the project with relevant people.
The project began as a film, but after disruptions caused by COVID-19 it became a series approved by Netflix around May 2022.
Raju died in September 2022 before seeing the finished series, which depicts the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War.
- Who
- Creator Kushal Srivastava, associate director Antara Srivastava, co-creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar, and the late comedian Raju Srivastava.
- What
- Operation Safed Sagar is a six-part Netflix military drama that pays tribute to Raju Srivastava after every episode.
- Where
- The series streams on Netflix and depicts the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War.
- When
- The series premiered on August 7; Netflix approved it around May 2022, and Raju Srivastava died in September 2022.
- Why
- The tribute recognizes Raju’s personal encouragement, help with Kushal’s transition from the Air Force, and support for the project through his industry network.
Key facts
- Platform
- Netflix
- Format
- Six-part military drama series
- Premiere
- August 7
- Tribute subject
- Late comedian Raju Srivastava
- Netflix approval
- Around May 2022
- Original format
- The project was initially planned as a film before becoming a series
- Historical setting
- The Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War
- Aircraft featured
- The MiG-21, flown by the Golden Arrows squadron
Quotes
Kushal Srivastava
Former Indian Air Force officer turned filmmaker and nephew of Raju Srivastava
“Years ago when I told my chacha that I want to do something so that the whole world knows my name, he joked that I should install hand-pumps everywhere with my name on them. But when he realised I was serious about joining the film industry, he helped me secure permission to leave the Indian Air Force,”
indianexpress.com
“We had the cast and script locked. Then we faced a setback as COVID-19 happened. Later, we decided to develop it as a series, and around May 2022, Netflix gave us a go-ahead,”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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