'Operation Safed Sagar': Why IAF officers didn't want 'hero' image
What's the story
Netflix's Operation Safed Sagar has become one of the most celebrated Indian shows in recent years. The war drama, set during the Kargil War, highlights the Indian Air Force's (IAF) pivotal role in turning the conflict in India's favor. In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, co-creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar and co-producer Mehboob Pal Singh Brar revealed how they ensured authenticity by consulting actual IAF officers.
Authenticity
IAF officers asked us to keep it real: Parmar
Parmar and Brar revealed that the IAF officers were adamant about keeping it real.
"We spoke to fighter pilots during the research and recce. Whoever we spoke to, they all said, 'Keep it authentic, keep it real,'" Parmar recalled.
He also shared that some senior IAF officers had specific requests from the team, including not showing them stepping out of planes in a "full hero mode."
Officer's feedback
This is what the fighter pilots specifically requested
Parmar recalled, "One thing which almost every fighter pilot we spoke to said: 'Do not show us coming down from the plane in a full hero mode, walking in slow motion. We hate it.'"
"They say, 'When you step out of a MiG-21, you are fully sweaty.'"
The officers also shared that pilots lose 1 kg after sorties and do not look glamorous or heroic when they finally walk out of their jets.
Focus
Team wanted to focus on human emotions
Brar added, "The challenge was very different, and it's a short answer: I had to protect the soul of the show."
"Amid the jets, the big bases, the massive peaks, the big houses, the big location, and the huge cast, on both sides of the story, we had to keep the focus on the emotions and human story."
Series focus
About 'Operation Safed Sagar'
Operation Safed Sagar is based on the operation of the same name carried out by the IAF during the Kargil War.
The series highlights the Golden Arrows squadron of the IAF, which undertook daring missions at 30,000 feet above sea level.
The series stars Jimmy Shergill, Siddharth, Abhay Verma, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, and Dia Mirza.