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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said ties between the Indian armed forces and the film industry were seeing a positive exchange, as he praised the makers of Netflix series “Operation Safed Sagar” for portraying soldiers with “respect and authenticity”. In a special video message played at the show’s premiere, he said such efforts honoured soldiers and encouraged patriotism among the youth.
The eight-part drama, inspired by the Indian Air Force’s role in the 1999 Kargil War, premieres on Netflix on Friday. Created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, and directed by Oni Sen, the series follows the Golden Arrows Squadron as young fighter pilots carry out high-altitude combat missions while dealing with the personal and emotional costs of war.
Congratulating the makers for bringing one of the country’s defining military operations to screen, Singh said, “I am glad to see that today there is a positive exchange between Indian defence and cinema. There is an attempt to portray the real glory of our soldiers with the same respect and authenticity that they deserve. This increases the honour of our soldiers and encourages the love for the nation among the youth.”
He said the IAF changed the course of the Kargil conflict through Operation Safed Sagar. “Before 1999, no other air force in the world had conducted a combat operation above 15,000 to 19,000 feet. Our air warriors showcased extraordinary courage during that operation and the attempt is to take forward that courage, that bravery and that legacy to the next generation,” he said.
Singh also said taking the story of the Kargil War to a global audience through the Netflix show was a significant achievement. He said the series would connect with younger viewers while showing India’s resolve to defend its sovereignty. “I firmly believe that this story of Operation Safed Sagar would be loved by our youth and this series will tell the country and the world that India may be a peace loving nation but if someone challenges our sovereignty and honour, our army will respond to that with complete strength and determination,” he said.
The premiere at Bharat Mandapam was attended by Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General NS Raja Subramani, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal A P Singh, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa, Air Force Families Welfare Association president Sarita Singh and Veer Nari Alka Ahuja, wife of the late Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja.
They were joined by IAF veterans, members of the Golden Arrows Squadron whose story inspired the series, and the cast and creators of “Operation Safed Sagar”. The series is produced by Matchbox Shots and Feel Good Films, and stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Dia Mirza, Abhay Verma, Prajakta Koli, Adil Hussain, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi.
Air Chief Marshal A P Singh described the show as being “very close to reality”, saying it faithfully recreated life in an IAF squadron in the period before the Kargil conflict, even with some creative liberties.
“My personal take on this is that it is very close to reality. Yes, there will be a little bit of creative liberties but the way it has been portrayed, the pre-war days, they have come out quite realistic and took us back to our old days in the squadron and how things were,” he said. He said Operation Safed Sagar was a turning point in modern air warfare, with the IAF carrying out bombing missions at altitudes of 16,000 to 18,000 feet, something unprecedented at the time. While books had documented the operation, he said a series like this would help it reach far more people. “There is enough literature available. But to make a series like this, I think, this is what is going to make it reach the common man. And I am sure, not only just in India, but around the world, entire Indian community, whenever they watch this, they will be very proud of the Indian Air Force and the Indian defence forces,” he said.
The Air Chief also said military operations were often remembered for their visible outcomes, while the contribution of thousands working behind the scenes went unnoticed, citing Operation Sindoor in May 2025.
“In actual life, what we see is the front face of the whole thing. Tip of the spear is what we get to see…. People who actually work on the ground, people who actually do those missions, people who actually plan and execute those things… for all 1,70,000 people that we have in the Indian Air Force. And then everybody looks at AP Singh and claps and says, ‘Oh, this is the person who did that.’ But this is what happens,” he said.
He added that the series covered only one chapter of the IAF’s role in the Kargil War. “This story is about one particular squadron which took part in that operation.
There were many squadrons which took part… It is not the entire story. It is a part of the story that we are seeing. And this is good enough for people to understand what was happening at that time,” he said. Overall, the series was presented as a dramatised account of one squadron’s experience in Operation Safed Sagar and as an effort to bring the story of the IAF’s role in Kargil to a wider audience.
– Ends
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