Siddharth and Jimmy Sheirgill headline the aerial-action series which explores the Indian Air Force’s role during the Kargil War and aims to present the events with a grounded approach.
Share Article
https://www.india.com/entertainment/operation-safed-sagar-makers-reveal-one-thing-iaf-officers-did-not-wanted-to-see-on-screen-in-siddharth-jimmy-sheirgills-aerial-action-series-8507655/
Makers reveal how IAF officers kept the Kargil War drama grounded (PC: IMDb)
Operation Safed Sagar has attracted attention for the way it brings the Indian Air Force’s role in the Kargil War to the screenThe aerial-action series does not rely only on large-scale visuals or dramatic combat sequencesIts creators have also focused on showing the people behind the missions as realistically as possibleThat approach came after extensive research and conversations with real IAF officers and fighter pilotsIn a conversation with Hindustan Times, co-creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar and co-producer Mehboob Pal Singh Brar explained why authenticity became central to the showThey also revealed one specific request that came up repeatedly during their discussions with Air Force personnel.
IAF officers did not want typical hero shots
Speaking about the show’s research and the feedback they received, Abhijeet Singh Parmar recalled a repeated request from fighter pilotsAccording to him, the officers did not want to be presented like conventional action heroes who step out of aircraft in slow motion.
Read more:
Bad news for Siddharth’s Operation Safed Sagar as Army veteran objects to coffin scene, demands ban
Abhijeet said, “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 motionWe hate it.’ This was a constant thing for everyone because they say, ‘When you step out of a MiG-21, you are fully sweaty.’” The officers explained that flying combat sorties is physically demanding and pilots do not emerge from their aircraft looking glamorous or composed like characters in a commercial action film.
Why realism mattered to the creators?
The feedback became an important part of the makers’ approachThe pilots told the team that they can lose around 1 kg after sorties because of the physical strain involvedThis helped the creators understand that the people involved in these missions needed to be shown as real human beings rather than larger-than-life cinematic heroes.
Abhijeet explained that the makers spoke with fighter pilots during their research and recceHe recalled that the message from the officers was consistent: “Keep it authentic, keep it real.”
Protecting the soul of the story
Co-producer Mehboob Pal Singh Brar said the writing and research process continued for more than two yearsFor him the biggest challenge was maintaining the emotional core of the story despite the scale of the productionSpeaking about this approach, Mehboob said, “The challenge was very different, and it’s a short answer: I had to protect the soul of the showAmidst 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.”
What is Operation Safed Sagar about?
The series is based on the Indian Air Force operation of the same name during the Kargil WarIt focuses on the Golden Arrows squadron and the dangerous missions carried out at heights of around 30,000 feet above sea levelThe show stars Jimmy Sheirgill and Siddharth in prominent roles alongside Abhay Verma, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, Amrita Bagchi, Dia Mirza and Prajakta Koli. The six-episode series is currently streaming on Netflix.
