‘Operation Safed Sagar’ Creators Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava Reveal the Emotional Stories That Shaped Netflix’s Kargil War Drama

Netflix's upcoming military drama Operation Safed Sagar is set to tell the untold story of the Indian Air Force's decisive role during the 1999 Kargil War. Ahead of its August 7 premiere, creators Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava joined director Oni Sen and the show's ensemble cast—including Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina and Arnav Bhasin—at the grand trailer launch in Mumbai. During the media interaction, the creators opened up about the deeply personal moments that shaped the emotional core of the series.

When asked what inspired him to take on such a massive project and whether there were any stories from his research that stayed with him, creator Abhijeet Singh Parmar shared that it was not just military history but the lives of Air Force families that transformed the way the story was written.

Recalling one unforgettable conversation during the research process, Abhijeet said, "Early on in the research phase—and there was a vast amount of research involved—my writing team and I were chasing facts; there were so many untold and unseen details in this story. We were meeting a very senior Air Force officer and had a list of questions for him. After we had thoroughly picked his brain for everything we needed, we sat down with his wife. While speaking with her, she shared something specific: she said that throughout the time he was in service, she had one rule—she would never argue with him the day before a sortie."

He continued by revealing the emotional reason behind that decision. "I asked, 'So, Ma'am, how did you handle it? What if there was an argument or a conflict?' She replied, 'I used to save up all the arguments. On days when there wasn't a sortie, I would fight about all those topics at once.' Hearing that was fascinating because every single day these pilots are putting their lives on the line in the air. It is an incredibly demanding job with so many operational controls; you cannot afford to be distracted by thoughts of a fight while flying. That single insight—that human truth from the world of the Air Force—completely changed my perspective. I realized that while we were trying to tell the story of this lesser-known mission and the Indian Air Force's untold account of the Kargil War, we had to remain grounded in the human truth of the story and the human reality of that world. Right up to the very last minute of making this show, we have tried to preserve that truth."

Co-creator Kushal Srivastava, who served in the Indian Air Force before entering filmmaking, also reflected on the emotional responsibility of bringing this story to the screen. Speaking about the research process and interactions with families connected to the operation, he said, "When we were discussing things with Alka Ma'am during the research phase, she mentioned that she didn't have any personal memories of Ajay Ahuja Sir. That made us feel determined to create a video or a series that would make both Alka Ma'am and the entire Indian Air Force proud." His words underline the team's commitment to ensuring that the sacrifices of the air warriors and their families are remembered with honesty and respect.

Created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava and directed by Oni Sen, Operation Safed Sagar chronicles the daring missions carried out by the Indian Air Force's legendary Golden Arrows Squadron during the Kargil conflict. The series highlights how IAF pilots operated under extreme conditions, striking enemy positions located on 18,000-foot mountain peaks while flying at over 20,000 feet to avoid shoulder-fired missiles and anti-aircraft fire. It marks the first large-scale use of Indian air power in the Jammu and Kashmir region since the 1971 war.

Starring Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin, and an ensemble cast, the series aims to combine large-scale military action with deeply personal stories of courage, sacrifice, and resilience. If the heartfelt reflections shared by its creators are any indication, Operation Safed Sagar promises to be more than just a war drama—it is a tribute to the men and women whose quiet strength helped shape one of India's most significant military victories.

Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War premieres on Netflix on August 7, 2026.