Operation Safed Sagar stars Siddharth, Abhay Verma meet real Kargil heroes at Golden Arrows’ 75th anniversary, share photos with war veterans

The actors attended the Golden Arrows’ 75th anniversary celebrations at Ambala Air Force Station on October 1.

Actors Siddharth and Abhay Verma recently found themselves in a setting that felt very different from the sets of Operation Safed Sagar. The actors, who played Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja and Flying Officer R.S. Dhaliwal in the Netflix series respectively, attended the Golden Arrows’ 75th anniversary celebrations at Ambala Air Force Station on October 1. This time, they were meeting the people and veterans connected to the squadron whose history they had helped bring to the screen.

Actors Siddharth and Abhay Verma recently found themselves in a setting that felt very different from the sets of Operation Safed Sagar. The actors, who played Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja and Flying Officer R.S. Dhaliwal in the Netflix series respectively, attended the Golden Arrows’ 75th anniversary celebrations at Ambala Air Force Station on October 1.

The reunion also highlighted what Operation Safed Sagar set out to do. The series introduced audiences to the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War, a part of the conflict that has received far less screen attention than the battles fought on the ground.

Abhay Verma shares photos

Abhay Verma also gave fans a glimpse of the evening on Instagram, sharing a series of photographs from the celebrations with the real-life war heroes and their families. The actor, who played Flying Officer R.S. Dhaliwal in Operation Safed Sagar, wrote about the experience and the privilege of being part of the Golden Arrows’ 75th anniversary: “As civilians, to be allowed to share the occasion of 75 years of Sqn 17 Golden Arrows with the Bravehearts and their braver families is an incredible honour. An incredible night, Thank you Universe. Yours Sincerely, Ahuja & Dhali.”

Among the photographs was a picture of Abhay with the people he referred to as the “OG’s” of the story. Sharing the picture, he wrote, “THE OG’s - Tony sir, Kamal mam & Alka mam. Thank you blessing us. ✨♥️😇.”

He also shared a photograph with Alka Ahuja, the widow of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was portrayed by Siddharth in the series. Another picture showed Alka with what Abhay jokingly called her “bodyguards”. The actor also met Group Captain R.S. Sidhu, a Vir Chakra recipient who was recognised for his leadership during Operation Sindoor. Abhay shared their photograph with the caption, “With THE VIR CHAKRA GROUP CAPTAIN R.S SIDHU - A true leader and hero of Operation Sindoor. 🫡♥️”

The connection between Abhay and Siddharth’s characters was also reflected in another photograph, which he captioned, “Ahuja Dhali for life and beyond.♥️” He shared another picture of Alka with the words, “Most adorable Alka mam 🙇🏻‍♂️”, while another post simply read “VEER NAARI 🙇🏻‍♂️”.

The photographs also captured some of the smaller details from the evening, including the badges worn at the event. Abhay shared a close-up with the caption, “The badges 🥹♥️”. In another picture, he introduced Dhali’s real-life friends, writing, “Dhali sir’s best friends. Now ours too! ☺️.”

The story behind Operation Safed Sagar

Operation Safed Sagar premiered on Netflix on August 7, 2026. Directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, the six-episode series follows the Indian Air Force during the Kargil War and focuses on the Golden Arrows squadron and its fighter pilots.

The story centres on Wing Commander B.S. Dhanoa “Tony” (Jimmy Shergill) and Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja (Siddharth), along with a group of young officers, including Flying Officer R.S. Dhaliwal (Abhay Verma). As the conflict intensifies, the officers are forced to make decisions where there is very little room for error.

The series also stars Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi, among others.

Four and a half years of research

The makers did not want to treat the Kargil story like a conventional war drama. The creators spent four and a half years on research and development before bringing the series to the screen. Co-creator Kushal Srivastava also brought his own experience as a former Indian Air Force officer to the project.

The production was a major undertaking for Netflix India, contributing more than $24 million to the Indian economy. The team filmed at operational IAF locations in Gwalior, Nal, Chandigarh and Mumbai’s Madh Island, with access to real aircraft and military infrastructure. The shoot involved 22 real MiG-21s, around 3,000 VFX shots and nearly 200 speaking roles. Some sequences were filmed at altitudes of up to 16,000 feet.

The MiG-21 is an important part of the story, given its role in the Golden Arrows’ history. Operation Safed Sagar also became the last production to capture the aircraft in action before its retirement from service.

The story continued with The Last Salute, a companion documentary directed by Operation Safed Sagar co-creator Kushal Srivastava. It premiered on Netflix on August 26 and looks at the MiG-21’s 62-year journey with the Indian Air Force, including its place in the country’s military history.