Netflix India has unveiled the trailer of Operation Safed Sagar: The Untold Story of the Kargil War. During the trailer launch event, actor Siddharth turned emotional while speaking about the film and the sacrifices made by India's soldiers and martyrs. His voice choked with emotion, and at one point, he was even seen wiping away tears. Siddharth thanked the makers and the streaming platform for giving him the opportunity to portray an Indian Air Force officer on screen.
When asked about his biggest learning about the Indian Air Force while working on the project, Siddharth said, "Everything was a learning because we are actors. We get paid to do what we don't usually do." He further added, "We get paid to pretend to be something that we were not born to be. And, to be allowed to play this character in uniform by the Airforce and by Alka (Alka Ahuja, wife of late Kargil war hero Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja) ma'am, that was the hall ticket needed for the exam."
Siddharth went on to say that he felt incredibly grateful to be a part of the film and to be sitting in front of the wife of a martyr. He said, "I don't think one experience about the force can teach you about the forces. I don't think anything can teach you about the forces except joining the forces."
The actor further shared that if he had to take away one lesson from the project, it would be the hope that stories like these inspire young people and help them see the country and its heroes from a different perspective.
Speaking about Operation Safed Sagar, Siddharth said, "This is not THE story. This is A story." He became emotional as he added that there were many squadrons, martyrs and young people whose stories were part of the project. Thanking Netflix, the makers, the Indian Air Force and his co-stars, Siddharth said the show would remain "one of most unforgettable" moments of his life as a human being.
Siddharth also spoke about his initial reaction when he was offered the show. The actor said, "My first reaction was hesitation because there's a way that heroes are depicted in our entertainment and specifically our martyrs. Firstly, I feel that they're not here to defend or accept the portrayal that you're portraying of them." He added, "And secondly, the moment you know someone is a martyr, we tend to sterilise them, we tend to whitewash them, we tend to make them one certain kind of person; none of us is like that."
Pic by Ashwini Sawant
He further shared that after several discussions with the makers, the entire team resolved to stay true to the integrity of the martyr's memory and his story. Siddharth then thanked Alka Ahuja, the wife of martyred Squadron Leader Ajay Ahuja, saying, "On behalf of everyone, thank you so much for letting us make this. We wouldn't have done it without your permission." Responding to him, Alka said that she did not have any videos of Ajay, but at least now she had an image of him through the show. Her heartfelt words once again left Siddharth teary-eyed, with the actor turning his face away from the cameras to hide his emotions.
