Operation Safed Sagar actor Siddharth says if Ajay Ahuja was not a soldier, he might have been an artist

Siddharth won praise for his portrayal of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar.

Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar has been one of the best-received Indian shows in recent years. The war drama focuses on the Indian Air Force’s eponymous operation during the Kargil War, which turned the tide of the conflict in India’s favour. Siddharth, who played Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja in the six-episode military drama, opened up about his experience in a new interaction with news agency PTI.

Siddharth shared why he knew Operation Safed Sagar was an example of a zeitgeist project.

What Siddharth said

The actor said he knew the show would have an impact. "Operation Safed Sagar" is a zeitgeist project... I can tell you the difference between projects that are zeitgeist like this... It's just that your phone rings very differently. Your messages are received very differently. The width and distance from where those messages come from and the times of day they come from all hits very differently," he said.

Siddharth in a still from Operation Safed Sagar.

About Operation Safed Sagar

Directed by Oni Sen and created by Kushal Srivastava and Abhijeet Singh Parmar, Operation Safed Sagar stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi, among others. One of the highlights of the series is its impressive aerial action, with the much-famed MiG-21 playing a key role. The aircraft was flown by the Golden Arrows squadron during the Kargil War.

Ahuja was killed after his MiG-21 was hit while on a mission to locate a downed pilot during the Kargil conflict. He was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra for his courage and sacrifice.

Siddharth said he has seen senior and junior officers of the Indian Air Force interact so naturally that an outsider could easily be left wondering who outranks whom. “It equalises so quickly. It's like a teacher telling their student, I haven't written my exam yet. Because the teacher is usually expected to know everything. He has done everything. I find that to be one of the most gentle qualities of the show,” he added.

On Ajay Ahuja

Asked if he knew what Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja's first option was before he joined the IAF, the actor said he learned from the officer's wife, Alka, that he was an engineering nerd who enjoyed gadgets, photography, and acquiring technical knowledge. “I'd like to believe that if Ahuja sir were not a soldier, he might have been an artist like myself. He might have been doing something to do with imaging and photography,” Siddharth said.

Netflix is also taking the story of the iconic fighter jet forward with The Last Salute. Directed by Kushal Srivastava, the upcoming documentary will look back at the MiG-21’s remarkable 62-year journey with the Indian Air Force. The documentary features Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh along with pilots who have flown the MiG-21 over the years. The Last Salute premiered on Netflix on August 26.