Operation Safed Sagar: Meet the real heroes behind Netflix’s Kargil War series

Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War, released on August 7, and has been receiving widespread praise from the audience as well as critics. The six-episode series brings the lesser-told chapter of the historic war to the screen and tells the story of the Indian Air Force’s No. 17 Squadron, famously known as the Golden Arrows. Directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, it stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina and Arnav Bhasin in key roles. But who were the real men portrayed by the actors? Here's a look at the key characters and the heroes who inspired them.

Sidharth has played one of the most important roles in the series. Ahuja was the Flight Commander of No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows. The defining moment from the series is from May 27, 1999, when Ahuja was flying a MiG-21 and remained in the area to attempt to locate a missing pilot. His own aircraft was subsequently hit by a surface-to-air missile. Ahuja ejected successfully, but he did not return. Indian authorities later said that Ahuja had survived the ejection but was killed after being captured. His body was returned to India the following day, and a post-mortem reportedly recorded bullet wounds and other injuries, while Pakistan disputed India's account of his death. Ahuja was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.

Jimmy Shergill has played the role of Wing Commander Birender Singh Dhanoa, also known as Tony. He was the commanding officer of the Golden Arrows during the Kargil War. When the conflict intensified in 1999, Dhanoa moved the Golden Arrows to Srinagar, and the squadron began reconnaissance missions to gather information about enemy positions in the mountainous terrain. Dhanoa himself participated in early missions over strategically important areas, including Tiger Hill and Tololing. His leadership earned him the Yudh Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal. Later, he rose through the IAF's senior ranks and became Chief of the Air Staff in 2016. He retired in 2019 as Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

Abhay Verma has stepped into the shoes of Flying Officer Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal, known by his call sign "Dhali". He was among the young pilots of the Golden Arrows during the Kargil War. As shown in the series, his most remarkable achievement came during the night-strike phase of Operation Safed Sagar. According to the Indian Air Force's gallantry award records, Dhaliwal had only 46 hours of night-flying experience and had not previously trained for specialised night strikes when he was called upon to perform them. Yet he successfully completed four operational night missions. He was among the youngest IAF pilots to participate in such night strike operations. For his performance during Operation Safed Sagar, he received the Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry. He eventually became a Wing Commander and was associated with the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team. Dhaliwal died in a 2009 aircraft accident while serving with the team.

Mihir Ahuja portrays Flying Officer C.H. Bal Reddy, referred to as "Baldy" in the series. He was posted with the Golden Arrows at Bathinda when the Kargil War began. While most of the squadron and its aircraft moved to Srinagar, he initially remained behind at Bathinda to handle administrative responsibilities and help man the Operational Readiness Platform. He later travelled to Srinagar, where the Golden Arrows were operating alongside Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa's squadron. Reddy's connection with Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja became particularly significant after Ahuja's aircraft went down. He was among those who were sent to identify the body that had arrived from Kargil.

Taaruk Raina is seen as Flight Lieutenant Jitendra Sangwan, known as "Sangy". He was part of the same generation of pilots whose careers were shaped by the Kargil War. Records from the Indian Air Force database show that Jitendra Singh Sangwan was commissioned into the fighter stream in June 1995 and later rose to the rank of Wing Commander.

Arnav Bhasin plays Flying Officer Amit Gupta, whose call sign in the series is "Goofy". Gupta is another member of the young Golden Arrows team depicted in Operation Safed Sagar. Netflix's promotional material lists him alongside Dhaliwal, Bal Reddy and Sangwan as one of the officers serving under Dhanoa and Ahuja.