Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who holds the honorary rank of Group Captain in the Indian Air Force since 2010, took to social media on Tuesday to share his reaction to the Netflix seriesOperation Safed Sagar. The period war drama focuses on the Indian Air Force's contribution during the 1999 Kargil War, highlighting the Golden Arrows squadron and the experiences of its young officers.
In his post, Tendulkar wrote: "Dear @IAF_MCC, just finished watching Operation Safed Sagar. It made me think about how different life is for the people who are out there, carrying the pressure and uncertainty, while the rest of us are able to sleep peacefully and carry on with our everyday lives."
Tendulkar also posted a throwback photograph with former Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa, whose character is portrayed by actor Jimmy Shergill in the series. Dhanoa, a retired IAF general who served as Chief of the Air Staff from December 2016 to September 2019, was the Commanding Officer of the Golden Arrows squadron during the Kargil conflict. Tendulkar recalled a 2017 meeting with Dhanoa, who at the time attended a special screening of Tendulkar's documentarySachin: A Billion Dreams at the IAF Auditorium in New Delhi.
"Watching Operation Safed Sagar now, and seeing what he and so many others went through during Kargil, made me look back at that meeting with a deeper sense of appreciation," Tendulkar added.
The cricketer praised the qualities displayed by the armed forces personnel, writing: "The courage is extraordinary. So is the discipline and mental strength behind it."
He concluded his message with gratitude: "I feel fortunate to be associated with the IAF and to have an understanding of the values that define it. Watching this story only made me more grateful. Thank you for everything you do for us. Jai Hind!"
The series, created by Kushal Srivastava and Abhijeet Singh Parmar and directed by Oni Sen, follows the journey of IAF officers during the Kargil War. It stars Siddharth, Jimmy Shergill, Abhay Verma, Dia Mirza, Prajakta Koli, Mihir Ahuja, Taaruk Raina, Arnav Bhasin and Amrita Bagchi, among others. The cast also includes Adil Hussain, Barun Sobti, Sanjay Suri, Aanjjan Srivastav as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manu Rishi Chadha as Pervez Musharraf, and Vinay Pathak as Nawaz Sharif.
Notably, Dhanoa, who served as a consultant on the series, told The Indian Express that the show is "not a documentary" but a "human interest story, along with a historical". He acknowledged that some portions were simplified or altered to make the narrative more accessible, saying: "So, it's been dumbed down at some places. At some places, they've made it slightly different so that people can understand. The essence of the story hasn't been changed." He added, "Maybe we don't do things like that actually, but it's been changed to make it more say, watchable, pleasurable, and most importantly, understandable by common people. That's why the series has been such a huge hit because it's been able to connect with the common people."