Netflix’s war drama ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ has earned attention for its portrayal of the Indian Air Force’s role during the Kargil War, but filming the series proved to be a demanding experience for its cast and crew. Abhay Verma, who plays Flying Officer Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal aka Dhali, has now recalled shooting in extreme weather conditions, travelling to high-altitude locations and getting the rare opportunity to sit inside a MiG-21.
Abhay Verma on seeing India like never before
Opening up about his experience on The Great Indian Kapil Show, working on Operation Safed Sagar, actor Abhay Verma, who plays Flying Officer Rajpal Singh Dhaliwal a.k.a. Dhali in the show, admitted that the job gave him the opportunity to see facets of India he had never witnessed before. “What I saw while shooting for the show, I had never seen anything like it before. I didn’t know our country was so beautiful. This was the first time I saw snow. I also experienced extreme heat for the first time,” he shared.He went on to describe the physical toll of the shoot: “We shot in Bikaner, Rajasthan, and it gets extremely hot there. We filmed at an Air Force base. So, I experienced extreme heat and cold, saw snowfall, and also saw people fall (faint). It was a very different experience. Since we didn’t have our phones with us, those memories still live with us. It was a golden time; had we had our phones with us, the journey wouldn’t have been as memorable,” Abhay added.
Abhay Verma’s emotional wrap
Abhay also admitted feeling sad when filming wrapped, reflecting on just how singular the experience was. “That world was so different. But all of us can proudly say that we were the last ones to sit in a MiG-21 (Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21, a supersonic jet fighter and interceptor aircraft).”
Why Jimmy Shergill ‘s makeup artist quit
Revealing that the team had to commute for over two hours to reach certain sets located atop mountains, actor Jimmy Shergill, who plays Wing Commander BS ‘Tony’ Dhanoa, shared that at one point his makeup artist quit because he could no longer withstand the weather.“We shot in the mountains at altitudes of 16,000-17,000 feet. It took us two to two and a half hours to drive to where our set was located. One day, my makeup artist came to my vanity van, saying, ‘I have had enough! Enough with all the respect, I am leaving! Stop me if you can.’ Now, you can imagine how exhausted that man must have been. He had been with me for 30 years, since Maachis (1996). And he left, just like that,” Shergill shared.
Arnav Bhasin calls it his ‘biggest project’ yet
Arnav Bhasin, who plays Flying Officer Amit Gupta a.k.a. Goofy in Operation Safed Sagar, called the Netflix series his “biggest project” to date. “I learned so much from it. Everyone here taught me so wholeheartedly. Every question that I had, they answered. I knew nothing about Operation Safed Sagar because I was just born during the war (Kargil War). I am just 27 now, and that’s pretty much how long it’s been since Operation Safed Sagar. So, through this show, I learned a lot,” he noted.
About ‘Operation Safed Sagar’
Directed by Oni Sen, ‘Operation Safed Sagar’ is a Netflix series that chronicles the Indian Air Force’s role during the 1999 Kargil War, drawing its name from the real-life military operation. The show stars Jimmy Shergill as Wing Commander BS ‘Tony’ Dhanoa, alongside Abhay Verma and Arnav Bhasin in key roles, and has received widely favourable reviews for its gripping recreation of the aerial campaign. Shot extensively at real Air Force bases and in extreme mountain terrain, the series has struck a chord with audiences for its authenticity and its tribute to the pilots who served during the conflict.
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