Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar Sheds Light on IAF Heroes of the Kargil War

Netflix’s Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story, released on 7 August 2026, turns the spotlight on the Indian Air Force’s role in the Kargil War through the story of No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows. The six-episode series revisits Operation Safed Sagar by following the officers who flew and supported combat missions in the Kargil sector, blending dramatised storytelling with characters drawn from real IAF personnel.

Directed by Oni Sen and created by Abhijeet Singh Parmar and Kushal Srivastava, the series features Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina and Arnav Bhasin in principal roles. Though presented as a dramatic retelling, the show is rooted in the experiences of officers whose service during the 1999 conflict remains closely tied to the history of India’s air campaign in Kargil.

At the centre of the series is No. 17 Squadron’s wartime role, from leadership decisions and operational deployments to the experiences of young fighter pilots operating in one of the most difficult combat environments faced by the IAF. The story also revisits the sacrifice, pressure and uncertainty that shaped air operations over the high-altitude battlefield.

The officers behind the dramatised roles

Siddharth portrays Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, who was serving as Flight Commander of the Golden Arrows during the Kargil conflict. Ahuja remains one of the most remembered IAF officers associated with the war, particularly because of the events of 27 May 1999.

He was flying a MiG-21 while attempting to locate a missing pilot when his aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile. Ahuja ejected successfully, but did not return. Indian authorities later stated that he survived the ejection and was killed after being captured. His body was returned to India the next day, and the post-mortem reportedly recorded bullet wounds and other injuries. Pakistan disputed India’s account of the circumstances surrounding his death. Ahuja was posthumously awarded the Vir Chakra.

Jimmy Shergill plays Wing Commander Birender Singh Dhanoa, better known as Tony Dhanoa, who commanded the Golden Arrows during the Kargil War. As the conflict escalated in 1999, Dhanoa moved the squadron to Srinagar, from where its aircraft flew reconnaissance and operational sorties over the mountainous Kargil sector.

He also took part in early missions over key areas including Tiger Hill and Tololing, both of which assumed major tactical importance during the fighting. His performance in the conflict earned him the Yudh Seva Medal and the Vayu Sena Medal. Dhanoa later rose through the senior ranks of the IAF and went on to become Chief of the Air Staff in 2016, retiring in 2019 as Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa.

Abhay Verma appears as Flying Officer Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal, known by the call sign “Dhali”, one of the younger pilots of the Golden Arrows who took part in the demanding air operations of the war. His service stands out particularly for his role in night-strike missions.

According to IAF gallantry award records, Dhaliwal had only around 46 hours of night-flying experience and had not previously trained for specialised night strikes when he was called upon to undertake such missions. Even so, he completed four operational night sorties during Operation Safed Sagar and was later awarded the Vayu Sena Medal for gallantry.

Dhaliwal subsequently rose to the rank of Wing Commander and later served with the Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team. He died in an aircraft accident in 2009 while serving with the team.

Mihir Ahuja portrays Flying Officer C.H. Bal Reddy, known as “Baldy”, who was with the Golden Arrows at Bathinda when the Kargil War began. As much of the squadron and its aircraft moved towards Srinagar, Reddy initially stayed back at Bathinda to handle administrative duties and help man the Operational Readiness Platform.

He later travelled to Srinagar, where the squadron was carrying out operations. Reddy’s wartime experience also became closely linked with the loss of Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja’s aircraft, as he was among those involved in identifying Ahuja’s body after it was brought back from the Kargil sector.

Taaruk Raina plays Flight Lieutenant Jitendra “Sangy” Sangwan, representing another member of the generation of fighter pilots whose careers were shaped by the conflict. Indian Air Force records state that Jitendra Singh Sangwan was commissioned into the fighter stream in June 1995. He remained in service and later rose to the rank of Wing Commander.

His role in the series reflects the experience of younger fighter pilots who were required to operate in an exceptionally demanding combat environment during the Kargil War.

Arnav Bhasin portrays Flying Officer Amit “Goofy” Gupta, another young officer associated with the Golden Arrows during the conflict. In the series, Gupta is presented alongside Dhaliwal, Bal Reddy and Sangwan as part of the younger group of officers serving under Dhanoa and Ahuja.

Together, their stories capture the camaraderie of squadron life as well as the professional burden carried by junior pilots during one of the most testing episodes in India’s recent military history.

What Operation Safed Sagar involved

Operation Safed Sagar was the Indian Air Force’s air campaign during the Kargil War. It included reconnaissance, interdiction and precision-strike missions against Pakistani positions in some of the world’s most difficult high-altitude terrain.

The operational challenge was severe. Pilots were required to fly in extreme altitude conditions and over mountainous ground where targets were located on steep slopes and fortified positions. Identifying and engaging those targets demanded precision under difficult geographical and tactical constraints.

The campaign highlighted the value of air reconnaissance, intelligence, precision weapon employment and close coordination between air and ground forces. The experience of Kargil also fed into later improvements in India’s air-war preparedness and operational doctrine.

A screen retelling of the IAF’s Kargil experience

By focusing on the Golden Arrows, Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story introduces viewers to the men behind the sorties flown during the Kargil War. Rather than presenting air operations only in terms of aircraft and missions, the series frames the campaign through the officers who led, fought and endured it.

The portrayals of Ajay Ahuja, B.S. Dhanoa, Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal, C.H. Bal Reddy, Jitendra Sangwan and Amit Gupta together offer a human account of Operation Safed Sagar. Their stories span leadership, loss, combat pressure, night operations, squadron responsibilities and the bonds between fellow air warriors.

In that sense, the series serves as a retelling of the IAF’s Kargil experience for a new generation, reminding audiences that behind the aircraft, targets and military planning were individual officers confronting extraordinary risks in wartime service.